Reunion
by anna2
Summary: At the age of 25, the Babysitter's club gathers once more in Stoneybrook. What are their lives like now?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer- Everything connected to the Babysitters Club belongs to Ann M. Martin. I'm just placing the characters in my own story. I am not being paid anything for doing this.  
Notes- This story takes place when the girls are 25 years old. I can't give the year because the books never gave it.  
  
Reunion- Prologue  
  
"Flight 321 from Seattle is scheduled to land at gate 52. You've got about 1/2 an hour before it does.  
  
"Thank you." The small brunette turned away from the ticket counter and headed for the gate. The excitement she felt at seeing her childhood best friend again spilled over to her pace, quickening her step and forcing her husband to run to catch up with her.  
  
"Slow down honey. The plane won't land faster just because you run. We'll get there and spend 20 minutes pacing around." He laid a gentle hand on his wife's arm, the touch breaking the spell she was held in.   
  
"Sorry. I just want to see her so badly. We haven't all been together since sophomore year. That was five years ago. And I haven't seen her since our wedding. Three years is a long time, even with email and phone calls." The woman took in a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "I'm almost afraid to see her again. Isn't that stupid? We've been friends since we were infants, we've been through everything together, and I'm scared to see her face to face just because some time has passed. I really am neurotic."  
  
"It going to be fine. You've been looking forward to this for six months now. Some jitters are normal. Just take a deep breath. And lets move because her flight lands in 10 minutes, and the gate is on the other side of the airport." He'd never seen his wife so nervous before, not even when they had gotten married. It was almost like she was 13 again. She told him stories about her group of friends, and he'd met several of them. But this would be the first time he would see the whole group together.  
  
"Flight 321 from Seattle is now arriving at gate 52." The fluttering in her stomach reaching fever pitch, the woman jumped up onto a nearby chair to scan the faces of the debarking passengers. It was times like these that she cursed her lack of height. Each second ticked by in what seemed like an eternity as she looked for her friend. Finally, she saw a flash of light brown hair, a familiar profile and impish dark eyes that held sparks of the mirth they had at age 12. "Kristy!"  
  
Mary-Anne Jackson leapt off the chair and dove through the crowd to hug her friend. "I can't believe it you're actually here. And look at you!"   
  
"I guess I forgot to mention something huh?"  
  
"You think so?" Mary-Anne laughed, surveying Kristy's eight months pregnant belly. "Why didn't you say anything?"  
  
"I couldn't form the words. I almost backed out the trip but I couldn't pass up a BSC reunion. Especially for such a happy occasion. Are you mad?"  
  
"Why would I be mad? I'm a little shocked sure, but you're having a baby. This is a happy thing. Now Claudia is going be another story. She's expecting to be the center of attention here." Mary-Anne teased her friend but held her questions back. She could see the pain in Kristy's eyes and sensed that the baby wasn't a good topic of conversation. Kristy would talk when she was ready and there was no point in pressuring her.  
  
"How was your flight?" Nick cut into the conversation.   
  
"Good. A little bumpy over Iowa but uneventful. You look good Nick. Is Mary-Anne keeping you on your toes?" She had only met Nick Jackson once, at the wedding. Sometimes her decision to move across the country seemed really bad. Like now. This was her best friends husband and they had only met once.  
  
"I have to keep her from working too hard. Sometimes I think those kids mean more to her than I do." Mary-Anne was a clinical psychologist that worked with disturbed children. She had a busy practice in nearby Stamford, and often worked with DCFS and various welfare agencies. The money wasn't great but she wasn't in it for the money.   
  
"Oh stop it Nick. Those kids need me." Her husband wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on top of hers. "I wish my job was unnecessary. I'd jump for the joy the day I go our of business due to no need for me." She turned her attention back to her friend. "Did you check any luggage?"  
  
"Nope. I brought jeans, tee-shirts and sneakers. You don't need a suitcase for those, just a duffle bag. I can wear what I have one to the church." Kristy gestured at the rumpled maternity suit she wore. "All I need is an iron and I'm good to go."  
  
"You never change, do you? I bet you'd wear jeans to the office if you could."  
  
"You bet I would. Especially now. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find presentable clothing that I can wear to work? Jeans would be a relief. Can we get out of here? My feet are killing me."  
  
"Of course. The car's outside. Do you want to go to your mom's first or our place so you can freshen up?"  
  
"We'd better just head for Stoneybrook. If I find someplace comfy I'm liable crash there and not get up again. Although seeing my mother is something I can put off too."  
  
"You didn't tell her?"  
  
"No one here knows. I'll tell you the story later, when we're all together. I don't want to have to repeat myself ad infintum."  
  
"No pressure. Talk when you're ready." Mary-Anne fished her car key out of her purse and turned to her husband. "Grab her bag would you honey?"  
  
"I can take it myself."  
  
"No dice. You are a guest and you are pregnant. Nick will take your bag and you aren't going to argue." Kristy opened her mouth to protest, them closed it again. She was tired, and having some else do stuff for her sounded great. "Who else is here? Am I the last one?"  
  
"Mallory came in yesterday. She's staying with Jessi. Dawn will be here later tonight. And Abby and Stacy will take the train up tomorrow. The ceremony is in four days. Claudia wanted us to have some time to visit. It's been so long since we've all been together."  
  
"Five years." Kristy's voice went hollow as she remembered the last time the eight friends had been together. "It's five years next week."  
  
Mary-Anne heard the catch in her voice and turned around. Kristy was staring straight ahead, but seeing nothing. "Oh Kristy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."  
  
"Don't worry about it Mary-Anne. I've been in denial since it happened. Coming back is forcing me to face his death." Kristy had lost her step-father Watson to another heart attack in the girls sophomore year in college. That had been the last time she'd come to Stoneybrook. She hadn't even been able to come for Claudia's wedding. The memories where just too hard. And it was easy to stay away. She kept in contact, phoning, writing and emailing, but seeing everything again was a different story. If it hadn't been for the pact, she wouldn't have come. "It's the pact. That's the only reason I came back. And maybe it's time. I haven't seen Serena since she was two. Mom brought her out." In the cruelest of ironies, Kristy's mother was pregnant when Watson died. Serena was born barely a month later. She was one of the cutest children Mary-Anne had ever seen.  
  
"Are you sure you want to be here? We'll understand if you want to go home."  
  
"I'm sure. Claudia invoked the pact. She didn't even do that when she got married. We all made a promise, hell we practically signed that thing in blood, and I intend to keep my end of the deal." Kristy set her jaw and started walking again. Mary-Anne followed.   
  
"Do you get back to Stoneybrook often?" Kristy asked once they were in the car and headed to their childhood hometown.  
  
"Once or twice a month. More since Josh was born." Kristy hadn't been the only one to get a surprise sibling. Joshua Nicholas Spier was the apple of his big sister's eye and a complete surprise to his parents. "Dad and I meet for lunch once a week. Sharon came with him once, but was so uncomfortable leaving Josh that she hasn't come again. I don't blame her. He's still nursing and he won't take a bottle. At six months he's more trouble than I was my entire life. Poor Dad, he has no idea what he's in for when Josh grows up."  
  
"Oh and you do Miss Career Woman?"  
  
"All those years babysitting for a living are not lost on me. I know good and well what boys are like once they start to walk and talk."  
  
"I sincerely hope I'm having a girl."  



	2. Kristy

Notes: Disclaimer is on the prologue. This will be a six part story, with a prologue, epilogue and a chapter devoted to each of the original Babysitters. I have nothing against Dawn, Mallory, Jessi and Abby, but my time is limited. Don't worry, you will find out what happened to them. I plan to get the parts up a couple of days apart, but don't worry if it takes awhile. I will finish.  
  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Mom I'm home." Kristy Thomas walked in the front door, marveling that her key still worked. She thought for sure that the locks would have been changed in the last five years. She stood in the foyer, drinking in the familiarity, and noticing the changes. Pictures of Serena joined the ones of Kristy and her sibling on the walls, and toys were scattered in the corners. The wallpaper was different, pink rose buds instead of green stripes. The door to Watson's old study stood slightly ajar. Feeling morbid, Kristy walked hesitantly toward the door and nudged it open.  
  
It was now a playroom. The walls had been painted yellow, and the furniture replaced. Instead of the dark oak desk, filing cabinet and computer console, there was an overstuffed couch, shelves all along the walls and a TV stand in the corner. Toys, books, games and art supplies were everywhere. A tarp and easel in one corner stood testament to Serena's favorite activity. Feeling slightly saddened, and a little wistful, Kristy walked back out and closed the door behind her. "Is anybody home?"  
  
"Who's down there?"  
  
"Em? Is that you?" Kristy didn't recognize her sister's voice for a split second. "It's me, Kristy."  
  
"Oh my God." Emily Thomas-Brewer came flying down the stairs to hug her older sister. "I completely forgot you were-" Her voice trailed off as she got a better look at her sister. "I guess you've been busy."  
  
"Save it Emily. I'll explain tonight, when we're all here. And not a word to anyone, you hear me?"  
  
"Sure. Wow. I can't believe it though."  
  
"You believed it easily enough when Charlie and Samantha had Kelly. Not much difference."  
  
"Tell Mom that. So how was your trip?" Emily had the attention span of a typical 14 year old girl.   
  
"Fine. I'm exhausted though. Are you the only one home?"  
  
"For now. Mom took Serena to visit Nannie, Sam and Charlie are off reminiscing at the high school, Karen is at Nancy's and Andrew is- somewhere. Oh, and David Michael is at work. They should all be home in about an hour. Is that all you brought?" Emily gestured to the duffle bag and grimaced, as though she couldn't imagine traveling anywhere without a closet's worth of clothes.  
  
"They're all here? I didn't think Karen and Andrew came in until next week. How's Nannie? Is her arthritis any better? She won't tell me anything."  
  
"It isn't worse but it isn't better. Mom keeps trying to convince her to come live here again but Nannie won't hear of it. She keeps saying that she isn't going to be a burden to Mom and she's more comfortable in the retirement community.  
  
"I'm going to take a bath and change my clothes. Don't tell anyone I got here yet. I'd rather just make an entrance." Kristy didn't wait to hear her sister's reply. Instead, she hefted the bad and headed up the stairs.  
  
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Her room hadn't changed. Same furniture, wallpaper and sports posters on the walls. Kristy closed the door behind her and gratefully sank down on the bed. Her back and feet where killing her. Groaning with relief she slipped her shoes off and began to change out of the suit she was wearing. "Ouch! That was a hard one baby." She rubbed the spot where the baby had kicked, and headed into the bathroom. The bath salts from the last time she had come where still there. She ran the tub, and added a handful of the salts.  
  
The hot water felt great on her back. Kristy slipped gratefully into a drowsy state, reveling in the first rest she had been able to get in a month. There was no comfortable way for her to walk, sit, stand or sleep. No matter what, the baby got in the way. She couldn't wait until this whole pregnancy thing was over. "One more month. I can't believe Mom did this five times," she mumbled to herself. "The morning sickness alone almost killed me." Through her reverie, Kristy heard the front door open and close several times. Her sibling must be getting home. Idly, she wondered why Stacy hadn't come home with Sam.   
  
She lingered in the tub until the water cooled, then relutantly hauled herself out. She didn't really want to face her family but she knew there was no choice. Emily would only keep her mouth shut for so long and Kristy wanted to be the one who broke the news about the baby. An especially hard kick to her diaghram spurred her into real action. "Okay, I'm going. No need to be rude here." She rubbed her belly in a futile effort to calm the baby down, then went to get dressed. At least she didn't have to face the killer heels and maternity suit again. She slipped into her jeans and pulled the baggiest sweatshirt she owned. Surrveying herself in the mirror she grimaced. "Not too obvious if they've all gone blind. Here goes nothing. Just remember I love you. The yelling is just me telling people about you. Don't worry. Their bark is worse than their bite. I hope." With one last glance in the mirror, Kristy took a deep breathe and headed downstairs.  
  
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Kristy lingered in the the shadows, watching her family for a moment. They were all there, even Karen and Andrew. After Watson had died, their mother had moved them to Chicago. They spent part of every summer in Stoneybrook. Both kids had said they wanted to stay close to their step-mother and siblings. Not to mention that Emily and Serena were their sisters, and they didn't want to lose touch. The last time Kristy had seen them was five years ago at the funeral. She remembered a gangly 14 year old girl and a shy 11 year old boy. Neither was sitting in the living room tonight. Kristy's breath caught in her throat looking at them. She'd seen pictures of course but it didn't do them justice, especially Karen. At 19, she was stunning. The braces and buck teeth were gone, and her glasses had given away to contacts. Her glossy blond hair tumbled almost to her waist in gentle curls. She was tall, lithe and thin. With every gesture and movement she made you could tell she was a drama major. All that imagination and energy she'd had as a child was shaping her into a wonderful comedic actress. Andrew had changed as well. He was as tall and broad shouldered as Charlie was, with a deep voice to match. Kristy remembered her mother saying that he played football at his school in Chicago. He turned slightly and Kristy almost burst into tears for the millionth time that day. He looked almost exactly like Watson, without the dark hair. He was as blond as his sister. At 16, he already had the look of a heartbreaker.   
  
Charlie and his wife Samantha sat on the couch. Kristy knew they were fequent visitors, given that they lived in town. In fact they lived in the Thomas's old house. They had bought it from the Perkins two years ago. Sam and Stacy would stay with them for the week. It was too much trouble to take the train in from the city everyday. They hadn't really changed from when they saw her in Seattle the year before. Their daughter was bigger though, and more active. Kelly was only six months younger than Serena, and the two little girls were fast friends. They sat playing with a puzzle in the corner under their father and brother's watchful eye. Sam and David-Michael were opposite Charlie and Samantha, teasing Emily about starting high school in the fall. They were telling her the same stories that Charlie had told Sam, that Sam had told Kristy, and that Kristy had told David-Michael and Karen. Kristy's mother, Elizabeth, came in from the kitchen and started to herd the crowd back for supper. No one saw Kristy watching them. It wasn't until Samantha picked up Kelly, and the little girl let out a squeal, that they looked.  
  
"Aunt Kwisty!" Kelly wriggled out of her mother's arms and raced across the room to grab Kristy's knees. Serena was right behind her. She was surprised. She thought for sure that the girls wouldn't know who she was. They hadn't seen each other since Serena was two and Kelly was three. "You here!"  
  
Kristy knelt down as best she could and hugged her niece and sister to her. She was aware of everyone staring at her. "Hi guys. I didn't think you'd remember me."  
  
"I see your picture. Daddy and Mommy have your picture at home. And we talk." Kelly was right. Everytime she talked to Charlie or Samantha, she made sure to say hello to Kelly. It touched her that the little girl remembered who she was. Serena didn't say anything, but hugged Kristy hard.  
  
Karen was the next to approach Kristy. She dashed across the room with her customary grace and energy, nearly tripping over the couch. "You're really here! I don't believe it! I didn't think you were ever coming back." She grabbed her sister in a hug that nearly knocked Kristy off her feet.  
  
"Watch it little sister. I'm not so graceful these days. Look at you. You're all grown up. I remember a little 14 year old." Karen just laughed and grabbed Kristy's arm before she fell.  
  
"Little sister. Yeah right. I'm five inches taller than you are. As for the growning up, it happens." She hugged Kristy again, more gently this time. "I've missed you big sister. Why didn't you go to school in Chicago like I asked you to?"  
  
"Because I was already settled at UCLA. How've you been? Got that starring role yet?"  
  
"Next fall I will be portaying Lady Macbeth at the Rosenburg Theatre. I'll send you a ticket. You had better be there too." Karen stepped back and looked at her sister more closely. "I'd better make that two tickets. When's the baby due?"  
  
"In a month. And it took you that long to notice? Everyone else still has their tongues hanging out." Kristy gestured to their family, who at least had the courtesy to blush over staring.  
  
"I noticed. It took me that long to overcome all those lessons in tact that I'm trying to remember. You know me, blunt and bold. Is is a boy or a girl?"  
  
"I don't know and stop asking questions. I'll tell you everything in my own time." Sam was next to hug Kristy. In fact he picked her up and swung her around, then put her down and grabbed his back in mock agony.  
  
"Good lord Kristy! How huge are you?"  
  
"Big enough to kick your butt if you make fun of me again. How you'd like me to sit on you?" It wasn't an idle threat. These days she could hardly get up with out help. She was beginning to wonder how much longer she could stay mobile. "You haven't changed a bit have you? I thought for sure Stacy would tame you a little.'  
  
"Not a chance my big little sister. For then I wouldn't be the man she fell in love with, now would I? Oww!" He jumped back in alarm as Kristy swatted him. "Help me!"  
  
"You're getting what you deserve, picking on a pregnant woman's weight. You're lucky I don't help you kill her." Samantha gave her brother-in-law an impatient push and came forward to greet Kristy. "Don't mind him, you look terrific. And he needs to learn to grow up. Still prank calling our house in the middle of the night. How are you feeling?" Samantha slipped right into confidence mode as she questioned her sister-in-law.  
  
"I'm tired and I feel like a whale." Sam opened his mouth and caught three different elbows in the ribs. He looked up to see his brothers glaring at him. All of them had seen the anger in Kristy's eyes at his earlier comment about her weight, and none of them wanted to see her temper go off. "Shut up Sam. And before you say anything to that, I know you and opportunity so don't try to deny it."   
  
One after another Kristy's sibling came forward to hug her and welcome her home. Finally only her mother remainded in the background. The others tactfully vanished, saying they had to get dinner on the table. "Mom."  
  
"Oh baby. I though you'd never come here again." Mother and daughter fell into a tearful embrace. "I've missed you."  
  
"I've missed you too. So much."   
  
Elizabeth relutantly released her daughter, knowing that tight squeezes had to be uncomfortable for her at this stage of the game. "Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"I didn't know how. I kept thinking that it wasn't real. I wanted to tell you but I just couldn't form the words." Kristy was sobbing now. "I'm sorry Mom."  
  
"It's okay sweetie. And what are you sorry for? It's not like I'm not a grandma already. I think it's wonderful."  
  
"No, Mom you don't understand. I'm not keeping the baby. I'm placing it for adoption." For a long moment there was silence between the two women. "Are you angry?"  
  
"No sweetheart. That's your decision to make, not anybody elses and no one has the right to judge your choice." Elizabeth heard the sadness in her tone and knew her daughter had picked up on it. "Are you going to tell the others?"  
  
"I don't exactly have a choice do I? But I'm not planning to annouce it at dinner if that's what you're asking. I'll tell you whole story later okay. I don't really want to talk about it now."  
  
"That's perfectly all right honey. Now lets go eat."  
  
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Dinner was as noisy and chaotic as Kristy remembered. David-Michael and Andrew got into a debate about football plays, Karen recited half her lines from Macbeth, Elizabeth attempted to start a real conversation and both Kelly and Serena knocked over their milk. Sam kept trying to break in and tell knock-knock jokes, while Charlie and Samantha dealt with the little girls. Kristy sat back and enjoyed the whole scene. She was 13 again, Karen and Andrew were visiting for the weekend, and she was trying to get out the door to go babysit. It had been so long since she'd had a noisy, crazy time with her family. She missed it.   
  
"All right!" Charlie stood and got everyone's attention. "We are all here and it's a time to celebrate. So Samantha and I have an announcement to make." He looked at his wife, who smiled back and nodded. "We're going to have another baby in about seven months." The dining room errupted in cheers and congratulations. Elizabeth glanced down to where Kristy sat and saw the shock on her face. Before she could say anything, Kristy got up and walked out.  
  
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Kristy walked down the street, not really noticing what direction she was headed in or where she was going. She had to get out of there. She shouldn't have come back now, she should have waited, pact or no pact. It was too hard, she couldn't handle this. Hot tears streaked down her face, blurring her vision slightly. Angrily she swiped at them. It was her own fault she was in this mess. How had her life come to this? She was eight months pregnant, it ought to be one of the happiest times in her life. But instead she was dreading her baby's birth, knowing that when he or she was born, she would have to say goodbye. In her head she knew it was for the best. A child should be raised in a loving, two parent home and she couldn't provide that. But her heart was a different matter.  
  
Her heart knew how much she loved this child already. Her heart knew the thrill she had felt when the baby had kicked, when she had seen it on the sonagram, when she had heard it's heartbeat. Her heart knew that it was going to be torn to shreds when the baby came and she actually saw it, and held it in her arms. And her heart knew that this was the only baby she was going to have. She was never again going to subject herself to caring this deeply for someone. It was too hard.  
  
The baby kicked, it's foot catching Kristy in the diaghram and knocking the wind out of her for a second. She sat heavily down on the nearest bench and tried to catch her breath. When she looked up she realized that her feet didn't forget. She was standing in front of Stoneybrook Middle School. She began to laugh softly, not believing what she saw.  
  
The building hadn't changed. It still looked the same as it had seven years ago when she left for UCLA. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. She had come here to cry and say goodbye, but instead had ended up having the best time of her life. The entire BSC had come, not by prearranged plans but pulled by something inside each of them to be there. They hadn't been the BSC for a long time. High school was busier than middle school ever was, and it left little time for babysitting. They had drifted apart, made new friends but still stayed slightly connected. But the night before she left for school they came back. They held each other, cried and laughed, shared secrects, and relived memories. That was the night they signed the pact. They remembered a movie from when they were 13. A group of friends promised that whenever one of them needed the others they would be there, no matter what. That night they had swore an oath to come back if they were needed, and to never forget their incredible friendship. The pact had only been invoked twice before, once by Kristy when Watson had died, and once when Mary-Anne got married. Kristy sat and stared SMS for a long time, before she finally turned around and headed back to her mother's house. 


	3. Stacey

Notes- It's me again. I said six parts before but it will probably be seven. I have to do a big reunion scene and I can't concentrate on one person to do it. Sorry. Oh yeah, I know I named Charlie's wife Samantha but after I posted it I remembered that Stacey's father married someone by the same name. I hope you don't get confused. Any reference to Samantha in the context of Stacey's father means I'm referring to her stepmother, not Charlie's wife.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Stacey was running late. Her train was pulling out of Penn Station in 20 minutes and she was still stuck in traffic. She sat and fidgeted in the cab for a few more minutes, before deciding to just walk. Traffic wasn't moving and it didn't look like it was going to within the next few minutes. She paid the cabby for his time and grabbed her bags. If she hurried, she could make it. She just hoped that Sam would remember to pick her up in Stoneybrook. She didn't want to have to deal with a cab there.  
  
She just made her train. As they pulled out of the station, Stacey settled back in her seat and began reviewing the files in her briefcase. Someone had set a nasty virus loose in the computer system of the law firm where she worked, and she was the one who had to deal with the fallout. Well, her department was. But as head of the department, she was the one who was ultimately responsible. And she did not want to have to explain to the senior partners why all the hard drive files had been wiped out, and that they couldn't be reconstructed. At least the important stuff had been backed up on disk. She mentally blessed herself for insisting that everyone back everything up. Nothing was lost for good. But she still had to neutralize the virus and repair the damage to the computer, plus figure out who did it.  
  
45 minutes into the journey, the train screeched to an abrupt halt and sat unmoving on the tracks. The passengers in the car started buzzing about the delay, passing theories back and forth as to the cause. They sat there for nearly 20 minutes before moving again. By the time they pulled into the Stoneybrook station Stacey was thoroughly annoyed, and getting hungry. Luckily she had remembered to pack a few snacks, knowing from experience that the train wouldn't have a dining car.   
  
Sam was waiting for her on the platform. "Hi honey, how was the trip?"  
  
"Annoying. For some reason we stopped for 20 minutes halfway here. No reason at all." Her head was hurting and she was tired. "Hang on a second. I need to go take my insulin. I just realized I forgot my last dose."  
  
"Not good, sweetheart." Sam was a jokester about most things, but his wife's diabetes was a different story. He had seen her collapse once from a high blood sugar when she had the flu, and he never wanted to see that again. He monitored her as closely as she would allow him.  
  
Stacey was back in few seconds, her hip stinging from the shot. Already she was feeling better. She made a mental note to check her sugar level when she got home. "Did you have nice time with your family last night? I'm sorry I couldn't make it."  
  
Sam thought about his answer for a minute. It wasn't his place to tell Stacey about Kristy's baby. Elizabeth had explained to him and Charlie that she was planning to place it for adoption, and had sworn them both to secrecy. Kristy would explain it to them in her own time, and they weren't to push. "Yeah, it was like old times with everyone there again. Charlie and Samantha are having another baby."  
  
"Was Kristy there?"  
  
Oh boy. "Yeah. She surprised all of us." That was an understatement. "Emily was the only one home when she got there, so she just went upstairs to change and walked in an hour later like she'd never left at all."  
  
"I didn't think she'd really come."   
  
"I was surprised too, but she said it was time. Maybe she's finally made her peace with Watson's death." Sam took his wife's suitcase and headed outside towards Charlie's car. "It sure took her long enough."  
  
"Be nice. It was very hard on her. And I don't think she'd made her peace with it at all, I think she came back because Claudia called in that pact we made. You know how she is with keeping promises."  
  
"I know. And I won't say anything about how long it took. I promise. Do you want to stop by your Mom's store before we head for the house?"  
  
"Yeah, could we? I want to see her fall line. Claudia designed some tops for her that are selling like crazy and I'm dying to see what they look like."  
  
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"Hello? Customer with question here?" The store was empty when Stacey walked in. Her mom must be in the back taking inventory or something. She rang the little bell on the counter, then just walked back. "Mom?"  
  
"Stacey!" Her mother looked up from the pile of clothing she was sorting through and grinned. "Come to help out your old mother?"  
  
"If you're old, then I am too. How's business?"  
  
"Pretty busy lately. Those new tops of Claudia's are selling like hot cakes. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Have you see them?"  
  
"No. Do you have any around?"  
  
"Here." Maureen handed her daughter a brightly printed triangle top that tied in the back. Perfect for summertime. "I love what she comes up with. Like those cute maternity dresses. I sold out of those in a week."  
  
"You know Claud, she can't stand not looking fashionable at all times. Being pregnant was a real strain on her. Have you seen Mimi lately?"  
  
"That child is adorable. And probably the best dressed baby in Stoneybrook. I can't imagine what the Kishi's think of the pictures Claudia sends them."  
  
"They're probably so blinded by the fact they have a grandchild that they don't care." Stacey set her purse down and started helping mother fold clothes for display. "I can't wait to see her again. I hate that I can't get back here very often."  
  
"It's better for you Stacey. You'd be miserable living anywhere but New York. You're like your Dad that way. How is he?" The rancor from the divorce had finally cooled, but Maureen hadn't spoken to her ex for nearly a year. With Stacey grown and married there was little point.  
  
"He's good. The twins are keeping him and Samantha busy. Was I a hellion at age 11?"  
  
"No. You were a good kid. All you cared about was your friends and clothes. You never gave us much trouble." Maureen looked down, not really wanting to discuss Stacey's half-sisters. "You must have gotten that from me."  
  
"I think so. I don't think Dad ever fell into the well-behaved category. How have you been? I know I haven't called in awhile."  
  
"Busy. I'm thinking of opening another store a couple of towns over. This place can't keep up with the demand. I'm getting customers from Massachusetts on a regular basis."  
  
"If you need any help let me know. Where do you want these shirts?"  
  
"On the table by the door, so people can see then as soon as they walk in. Can you set the mannequin up behind it and dress it in the red blouse and skirt? It's the latest outfit I'm trying to promote."  
  
"Sure." Stacey grabbed the plastic dummy, and an armload of clothing. "I can stay for awhile if you want. Sam took my bag back to Charlie's and they have plans for this afternoon." She came back in and began to fit pairs of pants onto hangers.  
  
"I'd like that. It will give you a chance to tell me what's bothering you." Maureen wasn't blind. She could see something was wrong with her daughter the minute she walked in.  
  
"Nothing's wrong Mom. I'm just tired. The office has been a zoo lately, and that virus problem yesterday didn't help much." She turned her head, trying to hide her face. She didn't want to get into a big discussion with her mother over things that couldn't be changed. It was like beating a dead horse. All that happened was that you wore out. The horse wasn't going to move.  
  
"That isn't going to work on me. I know you sweetheart, and I know when you're upset. Talk to me. It might help."  
  
Stacey took a deep breath. She couldn't hold it in anymore and she didn't want to. "I got some disturbing news from my doctor a couple of months ago and I'm not sure how to deal with it."  
  
Maureen's heart jumped into her throat. "Are you sick?"  
  
"No, nothing like that. I wish it was just that, because in a way this is even worse." Stacey felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Sam and I were ready to start a family. But with my diabetes, we thought we should talk to the doctor first and make sure everything would be all right. It wasn't. Dr. McBride told me that with my form of diabetes, and the fact that I can barely control it now, getting pregnant would probably kill me and even if it didn't, I'd never be able carry a baby to term. She said I might as well shoot myself in the head, doing that would be safer than getting pregnant. She recommended that I have my tubes tied, just to make sure. That it was for my own health. Sam and I talked it over and I had the surgery almost a month ago."  
  
"Oh sweetheart."  
  
"It hurts so much Mom. I'll never have children of my own. I'll never get to be pregnant. I never thought my diabetes would lead to this. The only thing I ever worried about was the long-term effects, like blindness or kidney problems. But this is the worst of them all. I'd go blind tomorrow if it meant I could have a baby." The tears were flowing freely now as Stacey poured out all the pain she had held inside for so long. She and Sam talked of course but he could never really understand how cheated she felt. "I feel so robbed."  
  
"I know sweetheart. I know how much it hurts." It was time. Maureen had kept this secret from her daughter long enough, and telling her might help ease her pain. "Did I ever tell you why you were an only child?"  
  
"No." Stacey heard the catch in her mother's voice and looked up. She could sense she was about to hear something important, she just knew it. "Why?"  
  
"We didn't intend for it to be that way. You father and I both wanted lots of children. We had so much love and we wanted to share it. I got pregnant with you very easily, and carried you without a problem. When you were born I thought God himself had smiled on us." Tears rose again in Maureen's eyes as she recalled her first glimpse of her daughter. "The next six months seemed like some wonderful dream. And I got pregnant again. We were delighted, all our dreams were coming true. But I lost the baby."  
  
"We chalked it up to bad luck. Sad for sure, but not the end of the world. We had you, and we could try again. Over the next two years I got pregnant four more times. They never lasted past the third month. Finally, when you were three, I made into my second trimester. I afraid to leave my bed or even breathe for those first few months. Do you remember Grandma coming to stay for awhile because I was sick?"  
  
"Vaguely. I remember that she let me watch cartoons a lot, and eat ice cream almost every night after dinner."  
  
"That's your grandmother all right. The day I felt the baby kick, I burst into tears with relief. This one would be okay. I just knew it. And it was. I made it to my ninth month and went into labor a week before my due date." Maureen stopped talking for a minute, reliving the memories.  
  
"What happened Mom?" Stacey wasn't even sure she should ask, but she had to know.  
  
"Everything was going fine. Until the baby's heartbeat began to slow. They rushed me into an emergency C-section but they were too late. Somehow the cord had kinked, and cut off the oxygen to the baby. He was born dead." Both women were sobbing now, one crying for an unknown brother, the other for a long lost son. "I still remember the look on your father's face when I woke up. I knew before he said anything. The look said it all. All I wanted to do was die and join my baby. I wondered how God could be so cruel. To let me come this close to what I wanted so badly, only to yank it away from me."  
  
"Oh Mom." Stacey embraced her mother, letting her sob on her shoulder. "How horrible."  
  
"I was able to hold him and see him. I spent hours just rocking him, willing him to wake up. I was sure he was just sleeping. He was so little, so perfect. He had blond hair, just like yours. We named him Matthew. I finally had to put him down. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. My arms literally ached for days afterwards." Maureen took a deep breath. She was over the worst of it and was beginning to calm down. "I had my tubes tied after that. Your father and I agreed that we didn't want to try again. Our hearts had been jerked around too many times, and we wouldn't be able to stand it again. We decided to just accept that you were the only child we were meant to have. But it took a long time for me to stop feeling robbed over Matthew and the babies we lost, and start feeling blessed to have you."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Stacey stayed at the store for another couple of hours, then headed for Bradford Court. She needed to eat and check her blood sugar, then she wanted to see Claudia. She hadn't seen Mimi since she was born four months ago. Had it really been that long since she'd been in Stoneybrook? Sam was right. She was losing herself in her work.   
  
"Hello? Anybody around?" Stacey let herself in and headed for the kitchen. A note on the table told her to help herself to something to eat, and that Samantha had taken Kelly to the park. Sam and Charlie were at their mother's house and would be back later. Stacey smiled at the loving message Sam had scribbled on the bottom, and went to make herself a sandwich. After she ate, she changed into casual clothes and headed across the street. Claudia should be from the school by now and hard at work in her studio.  
  
She rang the bell, still feeling strange for not walking in the way she use to. But after the Kishi's moved to Florida and deeded the house to Claudia and her husband, she just didn't feel comfortable coming in unannounced. Claudia was still trying to train her out of it.   
  
Too late Stacey realized it was the middle of Mimi's naptime and that Claudia was going to kill her for ringing the bell. She could already here the faint wails of an angry child from behind the door. Was it too late to run?  
  
"Stacey!" Yep. The door swung open to reveal a very frazzled Claudia, and a wailing baby. "Get in here so I can kill you!"  



	4. The Gangs All Here

No notes this time. Yay!  
  
Chapter Three   
  
  
Claudia ushered her friend into the house and closed the door behind her. "It's naptime, and I just got her down 10 minutes ago. Why couldn't you knock?"  
  
"Sorry Claud. I forgot. The part of my brain that remembers naptime doesn't work."   
  
"Well wait till you have a baby with colic. You'll never forget again." She shifted Mimi to her other shoulder and crooned to her soothingly. Already the wails were starting to subside. A couple of minutes later she was asleep again. "Let me go put her down." She headed up the stairs and into the nursery, Stacey hot on her heels.  
  
"Wow. You did a good job with this place," Stacey whispered. They were standing in Claudia's old bedroom, former headquarters to the BSC. It was now Mimi's room, a wonderland of Winnie the Pooh and friends. Claudia had painted a mural of the Disney characters over the walls, even doing a blue sky with fluffy white clouds on the ceiling. The only non-Pooh decoration in the room was a portrait of Claudia's grandmother, Mimi's namesake. Stacey stared in awe, not seeing a nursery but a 13 year olds bedroom. The crib stood where the bed once had, the dresser where the easel was, and the changing table replaced the desk under the window. Baby clothes filled the closet, and a rocker stood where the directors chair use to be. "It's all changed. I still remember this being your room."  
  
"That's right, you haven't see the finished product. That'll get you to come down more often." Claudia finished changing her daughter's diaper and cradled her lovingly. "You want to hold her?"  
  
"I don't want to wake her up."  
  
"You won't. She likes being held while she sleeps. I think it makes her feel secure." Gently she transferred the little girl to Stacey's arms. "See." Indeed, Mimi didn't fuss or wake. She just wiggled a little, snuggling deeper down into her soon-to-be godmother's arms.  
  
"She's beautiful. She has your face." Mimi looked almost exactly like her mother.  
  
"Wait till she's awake. Her eyes are bright green, just like Alan's." Gently she took the baby back and laid her in the crib. "Come on. She'll be out for awhile and we have things to catch up on." Claudia switched on the baby monitor, dimmed the lights and tiptoed out.  
  
  
"Well. Four months. Took you long enough to come see me." Claudia moved   
around the kitchen, getting the preparations for dinner ready. "I forgot; can you eat pasta?"  
  
"Can I see the package?" Claudia handed her the box and started chopping veggies for the sauce. "What on earth made me agree to play hostess tonight? Like I have time to make dinner for 14 people."  
  
"I believe it was your idea. In fact, and I quote, "I want all of us, significant others included, to get together at least once before the christening. And since I called in the pact, I'll play hostess." End quote. It was your idea babe." She handed the pasta back to Claudia after having read the ingredients. "I can eat this stuff. Thank for asking by the way."  
  
"I know what I said. And I want us to get together. You, Mary-Anne, Jessi and Abby are the only one's who have even see Mimi. Not to mention I'd like to meet Jimmy, before he and Dawn get married. And Kristy came back. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity here, and who knows when it'll happen again. You'll go back to New York, Kristy will go running back to Seattle to hide from her memories, Dawn to LA and her law practice, Mallory to Chicago to write her books, and Abby will go to Boston and finish med school." Claudia dumped the green peppers and onions into a frying pan and began to sauté them. "It might be another five years before we all get together again, so I want this time to be special. All of us coming back to the home of the BSC is the only way for that to happen."  
  
"You're right of course. Can I give you a hand with anything?"  
  
"Yeah, can you put the garlic bread together? The bread is in the pantry and the butter-and-garlic mixture is in the fridge." Stacey found the items and set to work assembling the dish. The two women worked and talked about every trivial thing they could think of, but none of the really big stuff. By unspoken agreement the tough stuff would come later, when the rest of the girls were there. Claudia talked mainly about Mimi, Alan, and the art classes she taught at Stoneybrook Elementary. Stacey told her about life in New York, a new play that she and Sam had seen the week before, and the virus that had shut down all the computers at work. Just as they ran out of things to say, the doorbell rang. Right on cue the baby monitor clipped to Claudia's belt let out a wail.  
  
"I'm going to go get her, can you answer the door?" Claudia didn't wait for a response before heading up the stairs. Stacey said a mental thanks that she hadn't been asked to get Mimi, and headed for the foyer. She opened the door and found Dawn and Mary-Anne standing on the steps, their significant others standing off to the side.   
  
"You're here!" Squeals of excitement and happiness resounded through the neighborhood as the three friends reunited. The noise level rose even further when Mallory and Jessi snuck up behind the little group, and jumped into the fray. "I can't believe it." They might have stood on the steps all night, talking and laughing excitedly if Claudia hadn't come out and scolded them for leaving the door open. Instantly they all shut up, and stared at the little girl resting on her shoulder.  
  
"Get in here and sit down. I don't want the baby getting sick." Once inside she turned to them and grinned. "You can talk now." Everyone started chattering again, cooing at the baby and telling everyone how wonderful they looked. Jessi and Mary-Anne hung back a little, having seen Mimi before. But Dawn and Mallory were enraptured.  
  
"Claud she's absolutely beautiful. The photo's don't do her justice." Dawn had Mimi held securely in her arms. The baby smiled and tugged on her long blond hair. "Ouch!" Gently she disentangled the little fists and handed her to Mallory.  
  
"Short hair is the only way to go with an infant. I learned that two weeks into it. She loves to grasp and pull things." She gestured to her own short hair. "Hence the Mommy hairdo. Can I get anyone anything to drink? Alan will be home shortly and promised to bring the wine, but for now I have soda, tea and juice." A chorus of orders overwhelmed her, sending Stacey to her aid.  
  
"Is Kristy here?" Mallory asked. She was busily playing This Little Piggy with Mimi's bare feet. "Did she really come?"  
  
"She and Abby should be here any moment," Mary-Anne answered her. "Listen guys, she's changed a lot. Don't push with questions when you see her. She'll talk in her own time."  
  
"What do you mean she's changed?" Jessi asked as she stirred the pot of spaghetti sauce. "Is something wrong with her?"  
  
"Not really." Mary-Anne cursed herself for even opening her mouth. "Just be patient with her okay? Coming back here has been really hard on her."   
  
JImmy spoke up for the first time. "I'm sorry to sound so dumb, but I don't know any of you beyond Dawn and Mary-Anne. Can you help me out here?" The girls looked at each other and giggled. Dawn too the lead and started the introductions.  
  
"This is Claudia. She and her daughter Mimi are the reason we're here."  
  
"Don't forget me," Alan cut into the conversation as he came in to the room. He pecked his wife's cheek and lifted Mimi out of of Jessi's arms for a cuddle, before depositing a couple of bottles of wine on the counter. "I'm Alan Gray, husband and father to these two beautiful ladies."  
  
"Pleasure." He and Jimmy shook hands and sized each other up. Dawn groaned in her head for letting them near each other. When Sam joined them, she could just imagine the things they'd get up too.   
  
"And this is Jessi." Dawn gently steered her fiance back to the matters at hand.  
  
"The teacher right? Second graders?"  
  
"That would be me. Teacher and ex-ballet dancer." An ankle injury in Jessi's freshman year of college had forever derailed her professional dancing career. Amazingly she had never looked back, drawing instead on her love for children and getting a teaching degree. She and Claudia both taught at nearby Stoneybrook Elementary. She still moved with the grace her years of training had instilled, but she'd never dance the way she had again.  
  
"The redhead is Mallory. She writes those books about us. _Adventure's in Babysitting_. We're all still waiting for the royalties she owes us."  
  
"And you're going to keep waiting. Those books are only loosly based on the BSC." Mallory grinned and shook Jimmy's hand. "It's nice to finally meet someone who'd put up with our crazy California girl here."  
  
"Loosly based? Set in a fictional small Conneticut town, starts with four memebers, eventually expands to eight, the first letters in all the names match, along with physical descriptions, parents marrige status's and number of siblings. You even matched some of our old clients names." Mary-Anne shook her head in mock disgust. "You ought to be sending us every penny you make."  
  
"Yeah, us poor medical students can use all the money we can get." A new voice piped up from the outside of the crowd, causing heads to turn. Abby was standing there with a big grin on her face, Kristy behind her trying to hide her belly for as long as possible. Sam was already working his way through the crowd to his wife.  
  
"Hail, hail the gangs all here!" Alan shouted, right before his wife smacked him in the arm. "Now we can party!  
  
  



	5. Sharing Pain

Chapter Four  
  
Author's notes: Sorry this took so long. I'm in college and had an evil english paper to deal with, along with a nasty case of writer's block. And yes, I realize that this whole story seems to revolve around Kristy but it is nearly impossible for me to develop all the characters the way they deserve. Besides, it really fits in with the books to concentrate on the BSC founder. I will try to get further chapters up quicker but I can't promise.  
  
Feedback: Yes please. And thank you to everyone who has been giving me feedback all along. I appreciate it more than I can tell. Remember that feedback is the quickest cure for writer's block.  
  
  
  
It had taken a little bit of work but Claudia mananged to fit everyone around her dinining room table. While she set out dinner, Alan fed Mimi. She fussed at the bottle for a few minutes but finally calmed down when she realized it was all she was going to get.  
  
"Okay, the meat free sauce is in the blue bowl, the regular is in the green." Dawn flashed Claudia a grateful look for remembering her vegatarian status, and reached for the sauce.  
  
"This looks great Claud. When did you learn to cook? Last time I checked you couldn't make toast without buring it."  
  
"I had to. Alan is worse in the kitchen than I was." Claudia served herself some garlic bread and passed the basket over to Mallory. "And what kind of example would it be for Mimi if all she saw her parents eat was frozen meals? I had to learn to cook for my daughter's sake."  
  
"This from the girl who kept candy hidden all over her room to offset all the healthy stuff her mother insisted on," Mallory joked. "You really did grow up."  
  
"It had to happen sooner or later. We're still waiting on you."  
  
"Funny Claud."  
  
"Are you okay Kristy?" Stacey noticed that the former president was eating was plain pasta.  
  
"I'm fine. Spicy stuff gives me the worst heartburn though. All I've eaten for the last month is the blandest stuff I can find. I eat one more bananna and I think I'll scream."  
  
"Oh." Stacey turned her attention back to her own meal. She didn't want to hear about Kristy's pregnancy. She had barely kept herself from running out the door when she had seen her friends belly. Only the long explainations she would have had to make kept her where she was.  
  
"I remember those days. I thought I was going to spit fire every time I ate for the last two months with Mimi. I lived on bread and vanilla milkshakes," Claudia added.  
  
Sam caught the look on his wife's face and cut into the conversation before Stacey could explode. "Ladies as fascinating as this is to you, the menfolk are less amused. Can you possibly discuss all this pregnancy stuff later? Like when we don't have to squirm and pretend we didn't hear?" Jimmy, Nick, Alan and Jessi's boyfriend Derek were quick to agree.  
  
"Stop it Alan. You read more books about babies than I did," Claudia mock scolded her husband. Their relationship was deeply rooted in friendship and she felt entirely comfortable teasing him.  
  
"That was only because I valued my life. You had gone crazy with those hormones."  
  
"Again with the yucky talk. Stop it, please." Sam sounded like he was teasing but he meant what he said. Stacey was really starting to steam and he didn't want her to go off at the table. He squeezed her hand and tried to communicate his feelings towards her. She got the message and squeezed back.  
  
"Mal, how are your parents adjusting to the idea of an empty nest?" Dawn asked. "Claire is the only one left now, isn't she?"  
  
"Yep. She got accepted to the University of Conneticut. This fall all of the Pike kids will have officially grown up. I think my parents are going to go loony when the house is finally empty. At leas they have summers. Mom said that they want all of us to come to Sea City in August, one last family vacation together. It should be a total blast from the past."  
  
"How's Anna doing Abby?" Jessi asked. "Is she still with the Boston Symphany?"  
  
"Third chair violin. She's in London right now. They'll be performing at Covent Garden for two months and even playing for the Queen. Then they move onto Moscow, and from there to San Fransico before coming home. I don't think I'll see her till Christmas."  
  
"You miss her don't you?" Jessi knew what it felt like to be losing track of your siblings. "I haven't seen Becca in almost a year. She's still trying to 'find herself'. Last I heard she was a photographers assistant in New Mexico. Thank God she emails. Momma and Dad would be going nuts if she didn't. My God Kristy how much can you eat?"  
  
Kristy's cheeks turned slightly red at Jessi's comment. She was on her third helping of pasta and salad. "I know, it's disgusting. I think one of my legs is hollow because I can't figure our where all this food is going."  
  
"Not disgusting, completely normal. The baby absorbs everything." Claudia was quick to reassure her friend. "You're eating for two here, it's to be expected. When are you due anyway?"  
  
"About three weeks." The baby kicked hard against her full stomach, causing her to bite back a groan. "Would you excuse me for a moment." Kristy rose as gracefully as she was able and headed upstairs towards the bathroom. She could hear the chatter behind her turning to a new topic and she prayed they'd stay with it. She didn't want to talk about the baby.  
  
  
"Come on kid knock it off. I need to get throught tonight without losing it. So quit kicking me so hard." In response the baby kicked harder. Kristy sighed and dried her hands. "You're as stubborn as I am aren't you?"  
  
She was ready to go back downstairs when she heard Mimi start to stir in her crib. Against her better judgment she went to check on the baby.  
  
*I hearby call this meeting of the Babysitter's Club to order.*  
*Any club business?*  
*Dues day.*  
*Who's free on saturday afternoon?*  
*I have diabetes.*  
*My mom is getting married.*  
*This is my friend Dawn. She just moved her from California.*  
*I'm moving back to New York.*  
*Mimi died this morning.*  
*Welcome Mallory and Jessi.*  
*Sea City here we come.*  
*The final meeting of the BSC. May high school bring better paying jobs.*  
*You guys are my best friends in the world.*  
*If we need each other for anything, we'll all come no matter what. That's what this pact is.*  
  
A hundred thousand memories washed over Kristy when she walked into Mimi's room. Voices from the past came back with a vengence. She was 13 again, calling to order a meeting of her best friends in the world. All they had to worry about then was who could take the newest sitting job.  
  
A sharp cry from the crib brought Kristy back to the here and now. Mimi's face was scrunched up in misery and getting redder by the minute. Kristy hurried to pick her up before she could start shrieking. The problem was a very apparent dirty diaper. A clean one soon restored the little girl to cheerfullness.  
  
Kristy sat down in the rocker, holding the baby close. It only took a few minutes of the gentle back and forth motion to sooth Mimi back to sleep. Kristy held her for a few more minutes to be sure she was out, then hauled herself back and laid the baby back in the crib. She stood there watching her breathe, unaware of the tears sliding unbidded down her cheeks.  
  
"Kristy?" Mary-Anne called softly from the doorway.  
  
"I shouldn't have come. I knew I wasn't going to be able to handle it but I came anyway. I made a promise. Whatever else I am, I won't be a person who breaks a promise." She didn't turn around to face her friend. Kristy knew the tears on her face were visible and she didn't want to get into it. She kept her focus on the baby lying in the crib. "Isn't she beautiful? She looks just like Claudia."  
  
"I know."  
  
"How did I end up like this?" Kristy moved away from the crib and sank back into the rocker. Her back was killing her. "It use to be that I wasn't afraid of anything. I could handle whatever life threw at me. Then Watson died and my world just came crashing down. I ran from everything and everyone because I could't handle the pain. It was easier to just hide. I never wanted to feel that badly ever again. But you can't hide forever. And when I started opening back up again, I got hurt even worse than I had been before." Her hands drifted down to cradle her belly. The child within her stirred restlessly and she mindlessly massaged the sore spots were little feet could be *seen* poking her. "Watson was the only father I very really knew. He loved me and my brothers like we were his own, the same way he loved Karen and Andrew and Emily. The way I know he would have loved Serena. After Patrick (she couldn't call him Dad) left, I stopped trusting men. It wasn't consious but it was there. The only guys I could depend on were my brothers. Watson was the first guy I let in. And he died. He left me. I know it wasn't on purpose but he's still gone." Kristy was sobbing now. "What's wrong with me? Why do they all leave? Every boyfriend I had in high school did the dumping, my own father ran out when I was five, the man I loved like a father died, and now this." Kristy buried her face in her hands and sobbed even harder. Amazingly enough Mimi slept on, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding nearby. Ever so slowly Mary-Anne crossed the room to where Kristy sat. She knelt down next to her and put an arm around her in a comforting embrace. Instinctivly Kristy melted into the hug. Her body remembered the habits of childhood, remembered that this person she *could* trust. This one wouldn't leave her the way the others had.  
  
"I'm scared Mary-Anne. My life is crumbling around me and I don't know what to do."  
  
"It's okay. You don't have to figure it out now. You don't have to pretend that everything is all right because it's not, and it's okay to admit that. It's okay to cry." So Kristy did.  
  
She hadn't cried since the day they buried Watson. Ever since she had been numb, not feeling anything. She hadn't cried when she found out she was pregnant, she had stayed strong when Nathan left, she had planned for her baby's future as best she could. All the emotions of the last five years had been bottled up and now came pouring out. Kristy sobbed on the shoulder of her oldest friend, in one of the few places that still felt safe. After what seemed like an eternity the tears began to slow, and the sobs subsided.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just came in here to check on the baby. Everything just sort of hit at once when I stepped through the door." Kristy straightened up and wiped away the last few tears. "I must look a mess."  
  
"You look fine. And you needed to cry. It isn't healthy to lock everything up inside."  
  
"That's the psych degree talking now isn't it?" Kristy joked weakly.  
  
"Yeah. Somehow I think you needed to hear it." Mary-Anne helped her friend to her feet and steered her towards the bathroom. "Go wash your face and then I'll take you home."  
  
"I want to stay. We haven't all been together for ages and I'd like to make the most of it. I owe Claudia that much." Kristy forced herself to smile. "I signed the pact along with the rest of you."  
  
"Are you sure? I can tell them you aren't feeling well."  
  
"I'm sure. It's time to face my demons. Running home won't help me do that, spending time with you guys will. I think it's time I stopped running."  
  
  
  
No one commented on Kristy's disappearance or about the still obvious tear marks on her face. Dinner was over and the husbands/boyfriends/fiance had been corralled into cleaning up the kitchen. Claudia herded the rest into the living room to relax, and tried to wince at the arguing and crashing she could hear behind the kitchen door. All eight members of the BSC gathered in the Gray's living room, together for the first time since in five years. No one spoke. Kristy finally broke the silence.  
  
"I hereby call to order this meeting of the Babysitter's Club. Any club business?"   
  
That broke the tension. For a minute they looked at one another, then simultaneously started howling with laughter.  
  
"It's dues day. Everybody owes me a $1000," Stacey joked. "Pay up."  
  
"Not a chance." Abby threw a pillow at Stacey, who shrieked and threw it back at her. The fight was on. For a few minutes they were all kids again. Only a groan from Kristy put an end to the mayhem.  
  
"What's wrong?" Mary-Anne asked.  
  
"I think I pulled a muscle in my back." Kristy stretched her arm, trying to reach the offending spot. She had little success. "I'm so sick of being pregnant. I can't wait until I'm me again."  
  
"You mean you don't like carrying 30 extra pounds with you at all times, with said weight sitting on your bladder? The constant back aches and swollen feet aren't fun and games?" Claudia teased. "What are we going to do with you?"  
  
"Anything you want if it gets this kid out of me soon." Kristy racked her brain, trying to come up with a change in topic. She was too late. There was nothing Claudia liked talking about more than the trials of pregnancy.   
  
"Do you want a girl or a boy?"  
  
"I don't really care." Kristy figeted uncomfortably in her seat, praying Claudia would shut up.  
  
No such luck. "Have you thought about names?"  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"Better get cracking then. The baby'll be here before you know it." Next to Claudia, Stacey sat with an odd expression on her face. Mary-Anne studied her carfully. She could have sworn it was anger.  
  
"So how come you didn't tell us Kristy?" Mal asked. She had a pad of paper open and was absently making notes for her next book. Being back in Stoneybrook had released a whole host of memories that she wanted to immortalize on paper.  
  
"I don't know. It didn't seem real. How come you waited so long to tell us about your girlfriend?" The barb was a friendly one. Kristy still remembered how scared Mallory had been when she came out in a phone conversation the year before.  
  
"Ha ha. How come it didn't seem real? Looks real enough." She gestured to Kristy's belly and scribbled a note about having Kara be the victim of a cool prank courtesy of Margaret.  
  
Kristy couldn't hold back any longer. "Because I'm giving it up for adoption." Her quiet delcaration floored everyone. Mallory automatically crossed out the note she had just made. The room was absolutly silent.  
  
Stacey stood up, trembling with rage. "You make me sick. You can't take responsibilitly for your actions, is that it? Afraid you'll mess up that perfect life of yours? Coward!" She spat and headed for the door. Only the hand that clamped onto her upper arm stopped her from leaving.   
  
Mary-Anne's eyes bore furiously into her own. "Don't you dare," She hissed at the blond. "You don't get to say something like that and storm out. Turn around and explain yourself." The tone of voice left no room for argument. Stacey turned around and sat back down, avoiding all the eyes around her.  
  
"I'm sorry. My mouth got the better of me there. It won't happen again."  
  
"You aren't sorry. You meant every word," Kristy said tonelessly. Her barriers were back up, even higher than before. She should never have let them down in the first place. Coward. That was the word she had been flinging at herself daily for months. She was use to it. But to hear it from a friend cut her to the quick. She stood up and headed for the door. "Claudia I'm going home. I'm sorry about all this. It was nice to see you all again. I hope the christening goes well. She's beautiful baby." Before anyone could stop her she was gone into the night.  
  
  
"What's wrong with you Stacey? Why the hell would you say something like that to her?" Dawn snapped. Stacey had been getting on her nerves all night. "You've been in a mood since you got here, grow up all ready."  
  
"I am grown up. You have no idea how much of an adult I am," Stacey shot back. "And I did mean what I said. "Adoption is the cowards way out. Can't face your responsibilities? Just abandon them! I just never thought it would be Kristy."  
  
The group stared at her, shocked beyond comprehension at the venom spewing from her mouth. "What's wrong with you Stacey?" Claudia echoed Dawn's words. "How did you get so bitter? Do you have any idea how hard it must have been to have to make that choice? And then come here for the express purpose of Mimi's christening?"  
  
"I suppose you do, huh?"  
  
"No. But I can just imagine."  
  
"Well I can too, and I say she's a cowardly whore who can't handle the consequences of her actions!" Stacey yelled.  
  
"Shut up!" Mary-Anne's outburst momentarily silenced Stacey. "Don't you dare call her that! Do you have any idea how badly she's hurting inside? Do you? Cause I do. She was sobbing upstairs earlier. She told me the whole story." Mary-Anne's voice softened slightly. "His name was Nathan. He worked at her office, as an accountant. They dated for awhile. He told her he loved her. Did you know that was the first time a man ever told Kristy he loved her? He said he wanted to marry her. Then she got pregnant." The room was quiet now as tempers cooled and the tension abated slightly. "Nathan was class-A scum. He walked out when she told him, calling her a whore and a cheap trick. Turns out he was married with kids. The whole thing was nothing but a game to him. He said that to her face, that she was nothing to him. The first time she opened herself up since Watson died and that's what happened. Do you understand now? Do you finally get it?" 


	6. Catching Up

Authors notes: I am so sorry that it took me this long to post this part of REUNION. My life has been very crazy lately and I just haven't had time. I will try to do better in the future.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Baby-sitter's Club. Ann M. Martin does. I just own the plot and any characters that you don't recognize.  
  
Distribution: Ask and ye shall receive.  
  
As the door closed behind Kristy, the only sound in the house was the water running in the kitchen sink. And Stacey sobbing quietly on the couch. She curled herself into a ball and buried her face in her hands. Sam came in a few seconds after his sister left and ushered Stacey out the door, mumbling apologies as they left. Alan, Nick, Jimmy and Derek choose to remain in the kitchen, not wanting to get mixed up in the living room drama. The six remaining women in the living stared at each other in stunned shock.  
  
"What just happened here?" Dawn asked softly, looking to her sister for an explanation.  
  
"I don't know," Mary-Anne said helplessly. "At least about Stacey. I have no idea where that outburst came from. It's so unlike her to be so cruel. But I think Kristy is having some sort of a breakdown. She's been repressing all her emotions for the last five years, not dealing with anything. Couple that with her being eight months pregnant and back in a place that she isn't associating with good memories and it all fits. I don't think she was prepared to come back here at all. And I'm beginning to think she shouldn't have."  
  
Mimi began to wail again before anyone could respond to Mary-Anne. Claudia sighed, excused herself and went to feed her daughter. Mimi was still unable to grasp the concept of "sleep more than two hours at a time before wanting to eat again."  
  
"Has anyone heard from Shannon lately?" Abby asked, trying to find a nice neutral topic.  
  
"Miss Rhodes Scholar?" Mallory asked jokingly, and with just a touch of bitterness. Mallory had dropped out in her sophomore year, unable to handle the pressure of school. Even with her writing career blossoming, Mal regretted having not finished her degree. But somehow she was unable to go back now and complete what she had started. "I got an email from her last month. Still in London and loving it. She mentioned that she had gone to Ireland with some friends a few weeks earlier and had a really good time. She found the village her father's parents had been born in and met some distant relatives. She's thinking of moving to Dublin when she finishes with school."  
  
"I remember Dublin," Jessi said wistfully. "I passed through with the ballet tour before 7th grade. It was nice but I really loved the countryside. Ireland really is the Emerald Isle. I can't believe that was 12 years ago. Seems like yesterday. Then again, it also seems like yesterday that I could dance," she said a little ruefully, looking down at her right ankle. The scar tissue around a torn ligament had ensured that she'd never be able to dance professionally again without permanently disabling herself. "I still can't believe that I was good enough for that tour. I was 11 years old for crying out loud."  
  
"What are you talking about Jessi? You were a fantastic dancer. We saw your performances. Remember Sleeping Beauty?" Dawn said.  
  
"And Copelia. That was wonderful the way you arranged for Matt Braddock's class to see the show and for Mrs. Braddock to interpret for them," Mary- Anne added. "We had so much fun that night."  
  
"I remember. Doesn't seem like it was 12 years ago." Jessi fell silent, reliving her days on the stage and her starring roles. "It's sounds strange now, but in a way I'm not sorry I hurt my ankle. I don't have any regrets about my dancing and what I did with it. I was good enough to be part of a world tour at age 11, I was recruited by Juliard at 15, and by the time I was 18 I had a chance to dance as a principal with a major company in San Francisco. It all came so fast and a dancer's career only stays good for as long as she can advance. I'd have been burnt out by the time was 25. I think I'm more fulfilled as a teacher. I was a good dancer but I'm a great teacher. And I can do so much more as a teacher."  
  
"I'm happy for your Jessi. Not many people can say they feel truly satisfied with their lives." Claudia returned, carrying Mimi. She handed the baby over to Mallory and sat down. Mal was immediately entranced by the little girl. Mimi just had that effect on people.  
  
"I know what you mean about teaching. I feel it too, even if I'm just an air-head art teacher." The joke was a long standing one between Claud and Jessi.  
  
"Dawn. Tell us about your law practice. Is it what you thought it would be?" Claudia asked.  
  
"Not by a long shot. I'm six months out of law school and working for a huge firm. I spend my days writing briefs and running errands for other lawyers. Still, it's good experience. One of the junior partners told me that the senior partners all ready have their eye on me. I must be doing something right. And the pay's not bad either."  
  
"When's the wedding?" Mary-Anne wanted to know. "Will I have to wear some horrible bridesmaid dress anytime soon?"  
  
"Absolutely not. Jimmy and I want something small and informal. Maybe on the beach like Dad and Carol did. We're thinking maybe about a year and a half from now. Josh and Mimi will be big enough to be the ring bearer and flower girl. And you won't be wearing a bridesmaid dress, you'll be the maid of honor. I did it for you, you can do it for me." Dawn grinned as her sister's eyes welled up. Mary-Anne didn't cry as much as she had when she was younger but there were still a few things that brought on the tears.  
  
"I though you'd have Gracie for a maid of honor."  
  
"You were my sister before she was. She can live with bridesmaid." In fact, Gracie had been assuming all along that Mary-Anne would Dawn's maid of honor. The 12-year-old was delighted enough at the thought of bridesmaid.  
  
"I want to hear about Miss Medical school. Still set on respiratory therapy Abby?" Dawn changed the subject before Mary-Anne could really start bawling.  
  
Abby just groaned. "I don't want to talk about school. I'm in the middle of my ER rotation (AN: yes I'm an ER fan and I couldn't resist) and it's driving me nuts. I can't wait for pediatrics. I know what I'm getting into with kids. The BSC trained me well." She let out another groan and sank further into the couch. She'd been at the hospital until noon that day and had barely made her train. She hadn't been able to sleep on the way down. Instead she'd buried herself in her textbooks and tried to cram more pharmacology into her head. The resident who was supervising her had a habit of quizzing his students on different medications just to see if they'd been keeping up with their reading. Abby didn't want to be caught unaware. "What about you Mallory? Living the high life in Chicago?"  
  
"I'm doing okay. My publisher wants me to write four more books in the series. I told them from the start that I only wanted to do eight, one for each character, but *Adventures* is so popular that they want more. They're even talking about a series for younger girls, based on Cara's younger sister. My fingers are sore just thinking about all the typing I'm going to be doing."  
  
"Mallory you're living your dream. You're a published and popular writer. I can't believe you've done so well for yourself." Jessi smiled at her best friend and leaned over to take Mimi from her.  
  
Mallory sighed happily and grinned. "I can't believe it- OWWW!" Mimi was happily clutching a handful of Mal's auburn curls and had no intention of letting go. Jessi started giggling as she pried the baby's hands open and freed Mallory.  
  
The group stayed for another twenty minutes, talking and reminiscing and catching up on each other's lives. As the clock began to strike 11, the gathering began to break up. Mimi was falling asleep in her mother's arms and the women were all beginning to yawn. Mary-Anne, Dawn, and Jessi went to collect their significant others from the kitchen while Mallory and Abby sorted out coats and purses. Calling good night to each other they all headed home. Mary-Anne was the last to leave, taking her time to hug Claudia good night while Dawn sat in the car with Nick and Jimmy.  
  
"Try to talk to Stacey tomorrow would you Claud? I'm worried about her."  
  
"I'll try. Do you think Kristy went back to Seattle tonight?"  
  
"I doubt she could get a flight this time of night. I'll go over there tomorrow early and try to convince her to stay. I hope she made it home all right." 


	7. Claudia

Claudia Gray was having a bad night. After all her friends left, the baby started wailing again. This time because she was running a fever. Alan had to run out to the nearest 24-hour pharmacy, which happened to be 30 minutes away, for more infant Tylenol. After he got back it was a struggle to get Mimi to swallow the medicine and the baby didn't fall back to sleep until nearly 3. Claudia collapsed in bed, mentally swearing that Mimi was going to be an only child. She didn't think she'd survive another infancy.  
  
Bright sunlight woke Claudia the next morning. She glanced at the clock, and then jumped out of bed. It was nearly noon and Mimi hadn't cried all morning. Was something wrong? She raced down the hall into the nursery to find the crib empty and a note taped to the door. The fever was gone and Alan had taken the baby to his parent's house. They'd be back around 5. Claudia was to enjoy her day off. Claudia nearly did a cartwheel of happiness at the thought of having a whole day to work in her studio with no interruptions.  
  
After a quick shower and some food, she pulled out fabric samples and a sketchpad. She had an idea for a blouse that she wanted to test out. Summer was coming and Maureen wanted something new for the shop. Claudia was hoping she could get some outlines down and get an idea of what material she wanted to use for the sample clothing. Just as she settled down, the doorbell rang.  
  
"Stacey, come on in." The sketches were instantly forgotten as Claudia ushered her friend into the kitchen. Stacey looked absolutely miserable. "I'll make some tea. Sit down."  
  
"I wanted to apologize for last night," the blonde said as she pulled out a chair. "I was out of line."  
  
"What happened to you Stacey? I've never heard you that angry in all the time I've known you."  
  
"It's a long story."  
  
"I've got time. Alan took Mimi to his parents house and the rest of my day is clear." Claudia brought the mugs of tea over the to the table and sat down next to her friend. "Talk to me Stacey. It won't do you any good to keep all bottled up inside."  
  
"I know. I can't have kids."   
  
"What?" The way Stacey had spoken, Claudia knew it was the truth. And the pain behind the words suddenly made the outburst from the night before not so out of place.  
  
"It's my diabetes. Most diabetics can have normal, healthy pregnancies. Not me. My doctor said I should have my tubes tied because there was no way I could carry a pregnancy to term and I'd probably die in the process of trying. I had the surgery last month." Tears were streaming down Stacey's face now. "That's why I started screaming last night. Kristy has what I want so badly and she's giving it up. How can the world work like that? I want a baby so bad it hurts but I can't have one. She doesn't want a baby and she gets one." She broke down completely then, sobbing until she gagged. Claudia held her and rubbed her back as she cried.  
  
"It's going to be okay Stacey. Maybe not right now, but eventually."   
  
After about 30 minutes Stacey stopped crying. A person can only sob for so long. She began to talk then, about everything. How she was worried that Sam wouldn't love her anymore. How she felt like she was only half a woman now and empty inside. How robbed and cheated she felt. How she wanted to adopt a baby, but was scared that she'd be turned down or the mother would take the baby back from them. She rambled on for nearly an hour, pouring out everything in her soul to her best friend. Claudia listened and comforted and held her she began to cry again. Stacey told her how it hurt to see pregnant women and mothers. That she could barely stand to hold Mimi because it just reminded her of how much she'd lost. Finally the torrent of words ended and Stacey stood up to leave. She was little embarrassed over how she'd lost it.  
  
"Are you sure you won't stay for dinner?" Claudia asked as she walked Stacey to the door. "It's no trouble."  
  
"Sam and I are supposed to go out with my Mom. Thank you though, for everything."  
  
"That's what friends are for Stace. And as your friend I say this: you have to apologize to Kristy. You have to tell her why you said what you did. Mary-Anne said last night that she thinks Kristy is about to have an emotional breakdown. If you apologize to her, you might help prevent that from happening."  
  
"I will. I promise. I'm so ashamed that I could say those awful things to her. I just hope she hasn't gone back to Seattle."  
  
"She probably hasn't. I'd have gotten a frantic call from Mary-Anne if she had." Claudia hugged Stacey; then gave her a little push. "Go see your husband. I'll see you at the church tomorrow." Stacey gave her a grateful smile, then left.  
  
Claudia closed the door and sagged against it. When had their lives turned into a damned soap opera? Could she really have thought that a reunion like this would be uneventful? It seemed so simple on the surface. Mimi was being christened and Claudia had wanted her best friends to be there for it. They hadn't all been together since they were 20, the year that Watson died. Claudia still remembered the frantic phone call from Dawn, saying that Kristy's stepfather was dead and Kristy needed them. Two hours later Claudia had been on a train home. It had been such a sad reason for a reunion. A christening had seemed like such a wonderful occasion in contrast. Why couldn't life ever be simple?   
  
At 5 o'clock Alan returned home. Mimi was asleep in her carrier and looked to stay that way. The visit had been a success. Mimi had smiled and laughed for her grandparents, to their great delight. After Stacey had left, Claudia had managed to get some rough sketches done, and was in the middle of fixing dinner when her family returned.  
  
"Hi sweetie." Alan placed the infant carrier on the counter and came over to kiss his wife. "How was your day off?"  
  
"Just fine. Stacey came over, and I got some work done on a new blouse for Maureen." She put down the vegetables she was chopping and turned to greet her husband properly. "Did her highness behave herself?"  
  
"Yes. She smiled and laughed for my parents. I think they're going to start bugging us for more grandkids soon."  
  
"That's not happening anytime soon. Especially after last night." Claudia shuddered at the thought of another baby in the house. It was hard enough to keep up with the demands of one.   
  
"My thoughts exactly. I think the princess needs to be talking, walking and toilet trained before she becomes a big sister." As if she knew what her dad had said, Mimi opened her eyes and began to cry.  
  
"I don't think she agrees with you." Claudia handed the salad preparations over to her husband and went to pick up her daughter. "When did she eat last?"  
"She had a full bottle about an hour ago."  
  
"Probably the diaper then. We'll be right back." Claudia took the baby upstairs while Alan finished getting dinner ready. Sure enough it was a dirty diaper that was making Mimi cry. As soon as she was changed, she dropped off to sleep again. Claudia laid her in the crib and turned on the baby monitor. "Do me a favor sweetheart and stay this way for the rest of the night. Mommy really wants some quiet time with Daddy. Okay?" The baby left out a little sigh in response. "I'll take that as a yes." Claudia clipped the speaker of the monitor to her belt and left, pulling the door half closed behind her.  
  
"I think she'll be down for awhile. I changed her diaper and she went right back to sleep. Here's hoping she stays that way." The over timer went off and Claudia pulled out the casserole. "Dinner's ready."  
  
"Great. I set the table. You want a glass of wine?"   
  
"Sure, that sounds great. Just make sure it's a small one. I'm not done nursing yet."  
  
"Of course my dear. I know everything about you. It's almost like we're married or something." Alan ducked out of the way as Claudia flung a dishtowel at him.  
  
As they were doing the dishes, Alan asked if Stacey had brought up what had upset her the night before. Sam had told him the basics when they heard her start screaming. Claudia sighed and told Alan the whole story.   
  
"I don't know if she'll ever get past this. She's always wanted kids and it's hurting her terribly that she can't have them." She concluded. She made herself a cup of tea and headed for the living room. "I wish there was some way I could help her, but I think I'm making it worse."  
  
"I don't think Stacey will start to heal until she decided that she wants to. You can't make someone get past a painful experience until they decide to move on. It sucks but that's the way life is."  
  
"I know. I just can't stand to see her hurting so badly. Not to mention Kristy. I can't even begin to imagine what she must be going through as well. Makes staying up with the baby seem like a blessing in comparison."  
  
"I wouldn't want to be in either of their shoes. I can't imagine the pain and heartache that they are going through and I don't want to," Alan said. He reached over and began rubbing Claudia's shoulders. "You're so tense honey. Try to relax would you?"  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
The next day dawned bright and clear. Opening her eyes to the sound of birds chirping, Claudia realized that there was another reason for today to be special. Mimi had slept through the night for the very first time. As if she could hear what her mother was thinking, a wail filled the air as the baby began to cry. Claudia rolled out of bed and headed for the nursery. Mimi was screaming with hunger and a wet diaper. Claudia changed the diaper and settled into the rocker to nurse the baby. Mimi latched on immediately.  
  
"Hungry this morning, aren't you princess?" The baby ignored her mother, choosing to instead concentrate on her meal.   
  
"Now that's a beautiful picture," Alan said quietly from the doorway. "Should I go get the camera?"  
  
"Don't you dare. My hair is a mess, I'm in pajamas and I'm not wearing any make-up," Claudia hissed back playfully. "There will be plenty of opportunity for picture taking when I'm properly clothed and the baby isn't attached to my chest."  
  
"Just a thought. What time are people supposed to be arriving?"  
  
"After the ceremony. I don't feel like entertaining before hand. I have enough to do getting ready for the reception this afternoon. Lucy Newton is supposed to be here to watch Mimi while I put up the decorations and you work on the food. All the platters have been ordered from the deli and bakery, you just have to go pick them up. And don't forget the champagne."  
  
"Can I get dressed first? Then we can draw up the battle plans." Alan kissed Claudia on the head, and ran a hand over Mimi's face before heading back to the bedroom. Mimi nursed for a few more minutes, then let go and started crying again. Claudia burped her, changed her diaper and dressed her in one-piece outfit. The christening dress wouldn't go on until right before they left for the church. Mimi had a nasty habit of spitting up on nice clothes. As soon as Alan was dressed, Claudia handed Mimi over to him and jumped in the shower herself.  
  
Lucy arrived just as Claudia finished getting dressed. Claudia handed the baby over with instructions to go for a walk for the next hour or so. Lucy strapped the baby in the stroller, grabbed the diaper bag and took off for the park. Marnie Barrett and Laura Perkins were also babysitting that day, and had agreed meet so they could talk and the kids could play.   
  
Alan left shortly after Lucy did, and Claudia was left alone to get the house ready. Everything was clean, and the reception was going to be in the backyard. It was too nice of day to stay indoors.   
  
It only took about 45 minutes to get everything ready. Alan had already set up the two long tables for the food, so all Claudia had to do was put on the tablecloths and tape them down. Alan was picking up the plates, cups and cutlery along with the food. She wound some white Christmas lights over the bushes and tied balloon bunches to the trees. Streamers crisscrossed the patio and she lugged the baby swing over to a shady corner. She didn't think there'd be any shortage of people willing to hold the baby but it never hurt to be prepared. The beeping of a car horn heralded Alan's arrival and she went out to help him get the food inside. Lucy returned Mimi shortly after that. Claudia took the baby in for a bath while Alan went to put on his good clothes. As soon as he was dressed, she handed the baby off and got herself ready. The days of wild clothes and colors were gone. She decided to wear a simple lilac sheath dress that was very good at hiding the extra weight from her pregnancy that she had yet to shed. Once the adults were ready to go, Claudia got Mimi into her christening gown. With luck, she'd still look nice when they got to the church.  
  
It wasn't a large crowd. Both sets of parents, Janine, Alan's brother Eric, some friends from work, and the BSC members with their significant others. Stacey was the godmother and Eric was the godfather. Claudia's heart sank when she realized that Kristy wasn't there, and that she must have gone back to Seattle after all. There was nothing she could do about it however.   
  
The ceremony was short and simple. Stacey and Eric promised to be a second set of parents for Mimi Lynn Gray should they ever be needed. The baby behaved beautifully, not even crying when the minister put the water on her head. Instead she just cooed and blew spit bubbles. Just as everything was drawing to a close the door to the chapel creaked open. Claudia turned around and saw Kristy slip inside. She sat down in back pew and didn't approach the group up front. As soon as the ceremony ended Mary-Anne walked back and sat down next to her friend. Kristy didn't say anything and just buried her head in Mary-Anne's shoulder. Claudia decided that the tactful thing to do was let them talk, so she discreetly ushered the crowd out and told them she'd see them at the house.  
  
Just as they pulled into the driveway, Mimi decided that she had behaved enough for the day and began to wail. Alan went to set out the food and welcome their guests while Claudia took the baby upstairs to feed and change her. She got her out of the christening gown just in time. The baby spit up all over her mother and herself. Claudia then had to bathe her again and change her own clothes. It was a good 45 minutes before they could join the party in the backyard.  
  
The former BSC members were all gathered in one corner, Mary-Anne and Kristy included. Claudia handed the baby over to her parents and went to join them.  
  
"Hey guys. Glad you decided to come Kristy. I was afraid you'd gone home."  
  
"Sorry about running out like that the other night Claudia. I really didn't mean to spoil everything," Kristy said. She sounded better than she had since she'd arrived. Stronger and more alive.   
  
"Don't worry about it Kristy. What are friends for if you can't dump on them once in awhile?"   
  
"Still, I shouldn't have lost it like that. I'm supposed to be a grownup, not some weepy 13-year-old girl." This was an apparent jab at Mary-Anne, who grinned and elbowed Kristy in the ribs.   
  
"There is nothing wrong with being weepy. It means that your tear ducts are working fine and that your eyes are in good shape."  
  
"Anyway, I'm going to stay for the rest of the visit as planned. I'm already here and I've already made a scene. It should be pretty boring from here on out." Kristy shifted in her seat and massaged a sore spot in her back. "Besides, that food looks great."  
  
"I'll go bring some over," Jessi volunteered. Mallory followed to fetch drinks. The rest of them settled down to talk and gossip unrestrainedly. They hadn't done more than the basic catch-up stuff the other night. Claudia had to get up every so often to check on the baby but other than that they were in their own little world.  
  
"So why did you decide to stay Kristy?" Dawn asked about two hours later.  
  
Kristy was quiet for a minute as she considered her answer. "I was all set to go back. I got back to the house, packed my bag and called the airline for a flight out the next morning. Then I decided to go for a walk. I felt stiff and I wanted to loosen up a little. Next thing I knew I was standing in front of SMS. For a moment I was 13 again. It was like everything melted away. Remember how simple thing were back then? I liked that feeling. And I knew that if I left, I'd never come back again. Not ever. And I don't think my ties with my family and friends would survive that. I can't lose those ties. Not ever."  
  
  



	8. Together again without horrible fights

While the rest of the BSC helped Claudia clean up the backyard, Stacey pulled Kristy aside so she could explain and apologize for her behavior. Kristy was very gracious about the whole thing and told Stacey not to worry about it. The reaction seemed a little off, but Stacey decided not to question it. Kristy's mental health seemed to have improved by about a hundred percent in the last two days and Stacey didn't want to push it.  
  
Once the backyard was in order again, Alan went over to his brother's house and Claudia took the baby upstairs for a late nap. Mimi was getting fussy. All the attention and people had served to overload her little baby brain. Claudia hoped that a snack and some sleep would ward off any forthcoming tantrums. Luckily Mimi went down fairly easily. The rest of the girls gathered in the living room, intent on talking until their voices gave out. Husbands, boyfriends and fiancés had been sent home with rest of the guests.   
  
"So when does everybody leave?" Dawn asked later that evening.   
  
"I have to be back at school tomorrow evening," Abby replied. "The resident supervising me is a real hardliner and I was barely able to get these three days off. I'm taking the train out tomorrow morning."  
  
"I have a meeting with my publisher the day after tomorrow. I have flight tomorrow night," Mallory said. She had enough material from these three days for a whole series of books and she was anxious to get the notes into her computer.   
  
"I took the whole week off. If the office has an emergency I can be in the city in a couple of hours." Stacey was in no hurry to get back to New York. She was enjoying her friends too much. "I'm here for four more days."  
  
"I have to be back in Seattle soon. Baseball is starting and I have a ton of contracts to go over. My office represents most of the Mariners. Not to mention that I'm almost at the point where the airlines won't let me fly. I'll probably leave tomorrow as well," Kristy said from her nest on the couch. She had wedged three pillows behind her back and two more on either side of her. Her back had been hurting all day. "I want to wrap up all the loose ends before I go on maternity leave. When do you go back to LA Dawn?"  
  
"I fly out tomorrow night. I'm supposed to start assisting with some depositions for a really big case."  
  
"So this is our last night together. How does time go so fast?" Jessi said sadly. "Seems like we just got here."  
  
"We did just get here. It's only been three days." Kristy lobbed one of her pillows at Jessi, who ducked just in time. "It's just hasn't been long enough."  
  
"I know. We have to get together more than we have. I miss you guys." Dawn was starting to get misty eyed. "Email and phone calls aren't the same."  
  
"I know, it sucks. But we all have lives to live. You were the first to leave Stoneybrook. The rest of us had to follow at some point."  
  
"Except for us." Claudia gestured to herself and Jessi. "We're hometown girls all the way."  
  
"Hey, I didn't go that far. Stamford is only 45 minutes away," Mary-Anne stepped into defend herself.  
  
"And New York isn't far either. An hour and a half on the train at most," Stacey said.  
  
"Or Boston," Abby added. "Even driving is only a few hours. You and Kristy and Mallory are the ones who really left."  
  
"Fine, so I can only blame myself for the distance. That doesn't mean that I have to like it," Dawn huffed in mocked anger. "I'm warning you all now that I'm calling in the pact when Jimmy and I get married. I'm expecting every one of you to show up. No excuses."  
  
"We'll be there with bells on," Claudia replied. "In my case that may be literally true."  
  
Kristy leaned back against the cushions and reveled in the sound of her friend's voices as they rose and fell around her. She hadn't felt this good in a long time. Not since Watson died. Maybe she had done the right thing in coming home. All those long talks with Mary-Anne since she'd been here had lightened her soul. Especially the one this morning.  
  
Kristy had risen early and had every intention of going back to Seattle. Her tickets had already been changed and all she had to do was pack. Her back had been stiff and she'd gone for a walk to try to stretch out. And she had ended up at SMS, just like she'd told everyone. But what she hadn't said was that she went from there to the cemetery and Watson's grave. She hadn't been there since the day of his burial. And when she got there she began to cry. All the pent up grief for her father came pouring out in a rush of emotion. When it had finally ended Kristy had felt stronger and lighter inside than she ever had before. Like nothing could really touch her in the peaceful place she'd found in her heart.  
  
"Earth to Kristy! What's the weather like where you are?" Stacey was waving a hand in front of Kristy's face. "You totally zoned out there. Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine. Just thinking about Watson."  
  
Mary-Anne shot a cautious look at the others. "Really?"  
  
"Remember when Mom first started dating him? I couldn't stand him. She had to beg me to sit for Karen and Andrew because I was convinced they'd be horrible little brats. And they turned out to my favorite sitting charges ever. Life's funny isn't it?"   
  
"Life has a weird sense of humor. Nothing ever turns out like you'd expect. I thought I'd be hippie when I grew up, and instead I'm a lawyer. Jessi is a teacher, not a dancer. Claudia doesn't have some fancy gallery in New York; instead she designs clothes. Abby doesn't play professional soccer; she's in medical school. Not one of us, except maybe Mallory, saw ourselves where we are now back when we were still the BSC. And look at us, we're all happy. I love my life. My job is wonderful. I'm going to marry a man I adore and I live exactly where I want to," Dawn said contentedly. "I think I like life."  
  
"Glad to hear that Dawn. It'd be a shame if you didn't like being alive." Mallory ducked out of the way as Dawn made a half-hearted swiped at her. "Stop that!"  
  
"Guys chill! We're not 13 anymore," Abby said. "We're grown-ups now and we have to act like it."  
  
"Say who? There's no one else here. We haven't been together in five years and if we get a little rowdy who cares? What's the harm?" Dawn shot back. A wail from the baby monitor was her answer.  
  
"That's why," Claudia grumbled. "Do you have any idea how long it's going to take to get her back down?"  
  
"I'll take care of it." Kristy hauled herself to her feet and started for the stairs.   
  
"You don't have to do that Kristy. Dawn and Abby are the ones who woke her up."  
  
"Really, it's okay. My back is getting stiff from sitting. I'd like to move around a little bit." Before Claudia could argue any further, Kristy headed up the stairs.   
  
  
  
"Hey sweet one, what's the matter? Did Dawn wake you up?" Kristy leaned over the crib and picked up the crying baby. Mimi was screaming in rage and her face was turning red. "It's okay. There's no need to scream your head off like that." She checked the diaper and discovered that a new one was desperately needed. As soon as she was clean again, Mimi stopped crying. Within ten minutes she was asleep. Kristy sat down in the rocker, still holding the baby.   
  
It was so strange to be here again, exactly where she had been when she had started to breakdown. Déjà vu all over again. But this time she didn't feel bad inside, like she was some awful person. She felt good and strong and light. As if the baby sensed the change in its mother, it kicked hard. The little foot or whatever it was bumped Mimi, who wiggled a bit but didn't wake up. Kristy laughed at the irony of the two children fighting before one of them was even born.   
  
Eventually sitting so still got uncomfortable again and Kristy got up and put Mimi back in her crib. Just as she got the baby settled again, she felt a strange popping sensation. Warm liquid trickled down her legs and puddled on the ground. "Oh my God." Her water had broken.  



	9. Delivery Day

Authors notes: People have been begging and pleading for me to finish Reunion. I post two new chapters and what happens? I get exactly two reviews. Now this is a trend that has to change. I want to hear what you think. No flames please.  
  
Authors Notes II: I had originally planned to write one chapter for each original BSC member (Kristy, Claudia, Mary-Anne and Stacey) with one more as a reunion scene. Hence the title. Well it didn't work out that way. Somehow I ended up concentrating on Kristy with the other characters taking more peripheral roles. Sometimes a story will go in directions you didn't expect and to change that direction ruins the work. Reunion picked it's own path and I think it is a good one.   
  
  
"Guys! I need a little help here!" Kristy yelled down the stairs, heedless of the sleeping baby. Luckily Mimi elected to remain asleep. Kristy didn't dare move. She didn't want to make more of a mess than she had to.   
  
"What's wrong?" Claudia came charging into the room and headed for the crib. "Is Mimi all right?"  
  
"Claud the baby's fine. It's me who needs help." The rest of the women were crowding into the room as Kristy spoke. "I think my water broke." She gestured to the puddle on the floor. "Sorry about the carpet."  
  
"That's not important. Are you having contractions?" Claudia took charge of the situation, as she was the only one with actual childbirth experience.  
  
"Not yet. You think maybe I'm not in labor yet?" Kristy asked. This was really not the time or place for the baby to come. Her doctor was in Seattle, as was the adoption agency.  
  
"Not a chance," was the cheerful reply. Abby had just finished her OB rotation and felt herself sliding into doctor mode. "Water breaking will only end with the baby coming out. That nice little bubble that it's living in for the last nine months has popped, and now he or she has to be born. And that means we're taking you to the hospital." As she spoke, Abby was leading Kristy down the stairs. "Who's driving?"  
  
"My car's out front. Abby you're coming, and I got room for one more," Mary-Anne said. "Who's it going to be?"  
  
"I'll go," Dawn volunteered. "If nothing else I can pace up and down for you."  
  
"That's settled. Mallory, you and Jessi go over to the Brewers and get Kristy's stuff. And tell Mrs. Brewer what's going on," Claudia was handing out coats and purses while she talked. "I have to stay here. Mimi is still asleep and I can't leave her. As soon as Alan comes home or I can find a sitter, I'll be there."  
  
"I'll stay with you Claudia. No sense in you getting all lonely." Stacey may have apologized to Kristy but she was still uncomfortable with idea of going to the hospital. It was just a reminder of what she couldn't have and the wounds were just still too fresh.  
  
"All right then, let's get going." Mary-Anne dug out her keys and led the little parade out to her car. Abby got Kristy settled in the back, while Dawn rode up front next to Mary-Anne. Kristy was starting to look a little freaked out. Jessi's car pulled out behind them and headed for Kristy's mother's house.   
  
The contractions started about two minutes after they pulled out of the driveway. Kristy was in the very back, propped up against some pillows and sitting on a couple of towels. She felt her entire stomach tighten. The sensations lasted for about 30 seconds, and then subsided. There was no real pain, just a sense of pressure. "I think I'm having contractions," Kristy announced.  
  
"We'll be there soon," Mary-Anne reassured her. "Are you in any pain?"  
  
"No. It didn't last very long and it just felt like pressure." Kristy wiggled around a little to try to relieve the pain in her back. "I think it'll be awhile before anything major happens.  
  
"Have you taken a birthing class?" Abby asked. "Lamaze or Bradley maybe?"  
  
"No. I'm starting to wish I had though." She sucked in her breath as another contraction gripped her stomach. She relaxed again after it passed. "That one hurt."  
  
"How's your back?"  
  
"Hurts, but that's nothing new. I've had permanent backache for the last three months. Are we there yet?" Kristy suddenly had an overwhelming desire to be in a hospital, surrounded by medical professionals who knew everything about childbirth.  
  
"Here we are. I'm going to go around to the emergency room." Mary-Anne followed the red signs and sighed in relief as the ambulance bay came into view. Dawn agreed to park the car while Abby and Mary-Anne escorted Kristy inside. The nurse at the admitting desk took one look at Kristy and brought a wheelchair around.  
  
"Are you in labor honey?" Kristy gratefully sank into the wheelchair. The short walk from the car had left her legs feeling like jelly. She was convinced that she wouldn't be able to stand up for much longer.  
  
"Yeah. My water broke about 30 minutes ago, and then the contractions started."  
  
"The pains are about every five minutes, and last for 30-45 seconds," Abby added. "She's starting to feel some pain, and her back is hurting."  
  
"Okay. I need you to fill out some paperwork for me, and then we'll get you upstairs. Have you called your doctor yet?"  
  
Kristy shook her head and waited for the contraction to pass before she answered. "I'm from out of town. I wasn't due for three weeks."  
  
"Well it looks like this kid would like to come out sooner." The nurse handed over a clipboard with the necessary papers. Mary-Anne got to work filling everything in, with Kristy supplying information between contractions. The pains were getting worse. As soon as the hospital had her medical history and insurance info, Kristy was taken upstairs and settled into a labor room. Abby stayed downstairs to find Dawn, while Mary-Anne went with Kristy.  
  
Before Kristy could really process what was going on, she found herself in a hospital bed and hooked up to a fetal monitor. A different nurse came in to put an IV in her hand, and check the baby's heart rate. Then the on-call doctor came in to examine Kristy.   
  
"You must have been contracting for awhile and not realized it Miss Thomas. You're all ready dilated seven centimeters." Dr. Marissa Hanson was the on-call doctor. She was cheerful and efficient as she read the chart, then checked Kristy over. "You're doing great. How's the pain? Are you holding up?"  
  
"Yeah. I can handle it," Kristy replied. She was feeling more than a little overwhelmed by the events of the day.  
  
"All right then. I'll check back in a little while." The doctor adjusted the drip on the IV, then left.  
  
"Mary-Anne?"  
  
"Yes Kristy?"  
  
"Can you have everyone stay in the waiting room? I really don't want to do the crowd thing right now. This is scary enough." Kristy sighed, then gritted her teeth. The contractions were getting intense.  
  
"No problem. I'll tell them to stay put. Do you want me to stay there, or with you?"  
  
"With me," Kristy managed to gasp out. Mary-Anne nodded and slipped out of the room to deliver her messages. Dawn and Abby were at the nurse's desk talking to Mallory and Jessi. They all agreed to keep the crowd out there. Mrs. Thomas was on her way, along with all of Kristy's brothers and sisters. Karen's friend Nancy agreed to watch Serena, Kelly and Mimi at the Thomas's house. Claudia was going to drop the baby off on her way to the hospital. She and Stacey had decided that they didn't want to sit around the house, and had called Jessi's cell phone to let them know. Mallory handed Mary-Anne the bag for Kristy and told her to tell Kristy they were rooting for her.   
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
"Kristy is there anyone you'd like for me to call?" Mary-Anne asked about two hours later.   
  
"You mean the adoption agency?" Kristy said with a wry smile. "Not yet. I can't think about that right now. I just want to get through this first." She doubled over as another contraction ripped through her system. It was all she could to keep from screaming. The pains were getting longer each time, and coming closer together. The nurses and doctor were in and out, constantly checking her progress. "I hope this is over soon."  
  
  
"You're doing great Kristy. Just hang in there." Mary-Anne took her friend's hand and immediately regretted that move. Kristy was very strong and if felt like her hand was being crushed. As soon as the grip eased, Mary-Anne pulled away. Kristy didn't notice. There was almost no time between the contractions now. The pain was unbelievable. It felt like something was trying to claw its way free of her and there was no escape. Despite her best efforts, a scream tore loose from her throat. Mary-Anne went to find Dr. Hanson.  
  
"You're fully dilated Miss Thomas. Let's get this baby born." The room was full of people all of a sudden. A couple more nursed came in, along with a pediatrician for the baby. One of the nurses handed Mary-Anne a green paper gown and mask and told her to put them on if she wanted to stay. Kristy was oblivious to the controlled bedlam around her. She was gasping with the pain and trying desperately to hold on and not scream. Two of the nurses propped Kristy into a semi-sitting position while Dr. Hanson took up the catcher's position at the end of the bed. Mary-Anne finished getting into the sterile drapes and pushed through the crowd to her friends' side.  
  
"This is it Kristy. Push when the doctor tells you to." Kristy nodded and grabbed Mary-Anne's hand. The next contraction came and she bore down with all her might. The baby stayed right where it was.  
  
"That was great. You keep that up and the baby will be here real soon," Dr. Hanson said. "Push with every contraction, nice and steady. How's the fetal heart rate?"  
  
"Steady at 140. Everything looks good." One of the nurses answered as she examined the printout from the fetal monitor. "The baby's in great shape."  
  
"Hear that Kristy? You're doing great." Mary-Anne had no idea what she was doing, but she figured that keeping Kristy's spirits up was part of her job. "It won't be long now."  
  
"It hurts." Kristy began to cry, and then to scream as another contraction seized her. "I can't do it. I can't."  
  
"Yes you can. You can do it. More to the point, you have to do it. The baby is going to come out whether you like it or not," Dr. Hanson said cheerfully. "And you're really close. You give a few more good pushes and the head will be out. That's the hard part. Now push!"  
  
Mary-Anne helped the nurses prop Kristy up again as she pushed with all her strength. Her face turned red and she began to scream with the effort. This kept up for the next hour. The baby decided to be shy, and was no longer as eager to come out. Kristy was beginning to feel like a wrung out dishrag, and Mary-Anne was fairly certain that a bone in her hand was broken. But she didn't dare pull away from Kristy. The young mother had finally settled into a rhythm of pushing and Mary-Anne didn't dare disturb that.  
  
"I've got a good view of the head. Big push now, give it everything you've got," Dr. Hanson called out. Kristy moaned and bore down with the contraction. She felt the baby begin to move with her efforts. The need to push overwhelmed her exhaustion and she gave into it, pushing with all her strength.  
  
"The head's out! Stop pushing for a minute. Relax," the doctor ordered. Kristy complied, falling back against the pillows. She felt so drained she could hardly move.  
  
"Okay Miss Thomas, one gentle push and you're done. With the next contraction. Go!"  
  
Kristy couldn't believe she had any energy left in her body. She took a deep breath and bore down, using the very last of her strength. She let out a horrific scream as she did.   
  
"It's a girl!" Dr. Hanson held up the screaming infant for her mother to see. Kristy fell back onto the bed, utterly drained and unable to do more than stare at the child. Dr. Hanson cut the cord and carried her over to the pediatrician. "Looks nice and healthy, and around eight pounds. Good set of lungs at least." The baby was shouting as loud as she could at her new surroundings. Mary-Anne leaned over and mopped the sweat off Kristy's face.   
  
"You did it Kristy. It's a little girl." Kristy just closed her eyes and relaxed for the first time all day. It had to be evening now. She had no idea how much time had passed or how long she'd been in labor. "Do you want to see her?" The exhilaration was beginning to wear off, and Mary-Anne now remembered Kristy's plans.  
  
The baby quieted down as she was cleaned up, dressed and wrapped in a blanket. The pediatrician finished his exam and declared Baby Girl Thomas to be healthy. She weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz, and measured 20 inches in length. Under the little pink cap she had a dusting of light brown hair. Her eyes were the milky blue of all newborns. Her face was red from her hours in the birth canal, and her head slightly cone shaped. Mary-Anne thought she was just beautiful. "Do you want to see her Kristy?"  
  
Kristy swallowed. This was it. The moment of truth. She'd told herself all through her pregnancy that she didn't want to see the baby when it was born. It would be easier to go through with the adoption if she didn't have to see what she was giving up. But now the baby was here, a girl. She had a daughter. She was a mother. If she said she didn't want to see the baby (her little girl), then she was saying she still wanted to go through with giving her up. If she said yes, she wanted to hold her child then she knew she'd never let her go.   
  
  
  
  
  
Mary-Anne mad her way slowly down the hall to the waiting room. It was nearly midnight and she was dead on her feet. Her left hand was throbbing and somewhere in her exhaustion fogged brain she suspected that it might be broken. She didn't think about that now. She just wanted to deliver the news to the family and friends in the waiting room, and then she wanted to crawl into bed for about five days.  
  
The waiting room was packed. Mrs. Brewer, Charlie, Samantha, Sam, Stacey, Claudia, Dawn, Abby, Mallory, and Jessi occupied all the available chairs, with Mallory and Jessi sitting on the floor. They all stopped talking and stood up as Mary-Anne walked in. David-Michael, Karen, Andrew and Emily Michelle had been sent home hours earlier to relieve Nancy of her sitting charges.   
  
"It's a girl. 8lbs, 4oz and completely healthy. Kristy's fine too. She's sleeping now." Mary-Anne swayed a little on her feet. She felt lightheaded. "You guys should go on home. You won't be able to see either of them tonight." Nick reached out and caught her before she fell. "She did ask me to stay with her and the doctor said it was all right."  
  
"Honey I don't think that's a very good idea," Nick said. "You need sleep."  
  
"They'll set up a cot for me. I have to stay. Kristy's having a hard time and she really needs me." Mary-Anne fought the temptation to give in and go find a real bed. "I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Talking quietly amongst themselves, the large group made their way towards the exit. Mrs. Brewer hung back and waited until all the others were out of earshot before turning to Mary-Anne.  
  
"Did she say she anything about the adoption?" She was praying that Kristy would change her mind once she saw the child. A girl. She had another granddaughter.  
  
Mary-Anne shook her head. "She didn't want to see the baby. Other than that, she didn't say. The delivery was pretty hard and she fell asleep so fast it looked like she passed out. The doctor said that rest was the best thing for her now. I guess we'll find out in the morning."  
  
"You're so good to her Mary-Anne. Kristy's very lucky to have a friend like you." Mrs. Brewer stretched and picked up her purse. "I'd better get going. Tell my daughter that I'll be back in the morning and that we're going to talk. She's not slinking out of town like she did the last time."  
  
"I'll tell her when she wakes up Mrs. Brewer."  
  
"Please, call me Elizabeth. You're too old to keep up this 'Mrs.' Business."  
  
"Okay. I'll give her the message when she wakes up." Mary-Anne gingerly hauled herself back to her feet and headed for the elevator. She really should get her hand looked at.  
  
Three X-Rays, two doctors and a splint later, Mary-Anne made her way back up to the Maternity Ward and her friend's bedside. Her hand wasn't broken, just badly bruised. The doctor had wrapped it and told her to take it easy for the next two or three days. The cot was waiting just where Dr. Hanson had said it would be. Mary-Anne gratefully sank down and barely remembered to remove her shoes before she felt asleep.  
  
She woke up the next morning to the sound of a nurse moving around the room. Kristy was still asleep and remained so as her blood pressure was taken and the IV removed. The clock on the wall read 7:30 am. Mary-Anne quietly used the bathroom, and then went in search of the cafeteria. The sleep had done her a lot of good, but she desperately wanted coffee. Kristy was awake and staring at a breakfast tray went Mary-Anne returned.  
  
"Hey. Welcome back to the land of the living. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Sore and achy. I can hardly move with something making me wince." Kristy poked the scrambled eggs with a fork and made a face. "I'm starving. In fact I'm so hungry that I could actually eat this stuff." She took a deep breath and downed a bite of the eggs. "Not too bad." Within a few minutes the tray was clean. Mary-Anne settled down in the chair next to the bed and drank her coffee while Kristy ate.  
  
"Your mom wants to see you at some point today. She says that she needs to talk to you."  
  
"Meaning she wants to know if there is anyway to change my mind about giving the baby up." Kristy looked down at her hands. "If you'd asked me yesterday if I was still going to go through with it, I'd have said yes. But now everything's changed. She's here. I have a daughter. And I have no idea what the best thing for her is." She looked up again, her eyes brimming with tears. She'd cried more on this trip home than she had in the last five years. "Isn't that what parents are suppose to do? Do the best thing for their children? I'm supposed to put her first now, not me."  
  
"That's true. But Kristy, you have to think of yourself a little. You have to live with this choice. If it's going to hurt you this much to give her up, then don't do it. Be a mom instead. Raise your daughter and love her and make a life for the two of you."  
  
"But nothing has changed in my life. I'm still single. I have a high- pressure job that involves a ton of travel. Her father still won't admit she exists. I live on the opposite side of the country from my entire family. And I'm not exactly the picture of stable mental health. How can I subject that little girl to a life like that?"  
  
Mary-Anne was silent for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "That's a load of crap Kristy. There are plenty of single mom's out there who do just fine raising their kids. You can change jobs or ask your company to adjust your hours. They have to by law. If the lack of family is bothering you, then move home. As for your mental health, I was worried about you when you got here. I'm not so worried anymore. You may be a sniffling, sobbing mess most of the time but you're allowing yourself to feel for the first time in five years. You're healing and that's good. I can't do anything about Nathan being involved, but he can be forced into child support if nothing else. He's a rat bastard and there's really nothing else to be said about him."  
  
Kristy stared at her friend for a minute. Then she burst out laughing, which soon turned to groans. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts when I do." She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself. "What does she look like?"  
  
"Beautiful. She has light brown hair and blue eyes but those could change, as she gets older. She weighed 8lbs, 4oz and is 20 inches long. Her face was kind of red but that'll fade. She looks a lot like your old baby pictures."  
  
"I think I'd like to see her." Kristy took another deep breath and wiped her eyes. "I'd like to see her."  
  
"Okay. I'll go get the nurse to bring her down." She got up and headed for the door.  
  
"This doesn't mean I've changed my mind about the adoption," Kristy added. "I just want to see her before I make any decisions."  
  
"That's fine. No pressure." Mary-Anne ducked out and headed for the nurses station. She was back a few minutes later, accompanied by a nurse who was pushing a bassinet in front of her. Kristy hauled herself up to a sitting position and stared as the nurse picked up the little pink bundle. Carefully, the baby was settled in her mother's arms.   
  
Kristy just stared in awe at the baby she held. She was awake but not crying. Her eyes were open, revealing their milky blue color. "You're right. She looks like those old pictures of me." The baby opened her mouth and made a soft cooing sound. Kristy began to cry again, the tears pouring down her face. "Hi there beautiful. Isn't she gorgeous Mary-Anne?"  
  
"She's lovely."  
  
Kristy ran a cautious finger over the baby's cheek. "Her skin is so soft. And she's so little. How can she be this little? I mean, look how big I got." She looked up at her friend and smiled. "She's perfect, isn't she?"  
  
"She is. You have a perfect baby girl." Mary-Anne didn't want to say too much right now. Kristy had to make the choice on her own.  
  
"Hi sweetie. I'm your mommy. The person you've been kicking for the last five months. I had morning sickness and weird cravings and heartburn and backaches and swollen ankles for you. I got fat for you, and went through hours and hours of never-ending pain to get you here. I worked so hard for you. And I love you so much. I've just met you, how is it that I love you so much?" Kristy was really sobbing now. "Jillian Margaret Thomas. That's your name. I hope you like it. I'm Kristy, your mom. You don't have a dad right now, but I'll do my best to find you a good one Jillian. And I'll do my best to raise you right. Help you grow into a wonderful woman, one who's smarter than her mom. You'll take ballet lessons and play soccer. You can join Girl Scouts and I'll be your leader. We can play softball together. I use to play all the time. I even coached a team once. And you'll have a big, huge family with lots of aunts and uncles and cousins. They're going to love you so much. I can't wait to see their faces when they meet you. You're never going to be lonely or want for anything. You can do anything you want. You've got the whole world in front of you and I'll always be there for you, no matter what." Kristy held her baby tight and continued talking to her as Mary-Anne slipped out of the room. She was going to start crying soon and she didn't want Kristy to see. Besides, that was a private moment between mother and daughter that she shouldn't intrude on.   
  
  
  
  
  
She came back a few hours later to find Kristy in the exact same spot, still holding the baby. "Hi. Feeling better?"  
  
Kristy smiled, a peaceful, serene smile. "I guess you've figured out that I'm not giving her up."  
  
"I kind of guessed when you started telling her how you would be her Girl Scout leader." Mary-Anne sat back down and watched her friend interact with her daughter. "You look pretty comfortable with this 'mom' thing."  
  
"I just can't imaging not having her. Isn't that weird? I've known her less than a day and I can't imagine not having Jillian in my life."  
  
"I think that's a sign that you're going to be a really good mother."  
  
"I hope so." Kristy shifted the baby to her other arm and carefully began to nurse her. "The doctor said that nursing her was the best thing for both of us right now. It'll help me heal and it's a healthy start for her. She showed me how to do it earlier. Jillian caught on pretty quick but I took awhile. Oww!" She jumped slightly in pain. "She bites like you wouldn't believe."  
  
"I'll take your word for that. Has anyone else been by to see you today?"  
  
"Just Mom. I still have that No Visitor's thing in place. Except for you of course. I think tomorrow the whole world is going to descend on me." She switched the baby to the other breast before continuing. "Mom was thrilled that I'm keeping her. I'll have to stay at the house for a few weeks at least, and she said it was all right. She still has Serena's old crib for Jillian to use. I'm going to ask Claud if I can borrow some of Mimi's old clothes, until I can get some new ones for Jillian. I can't take her on an airplane yet. I called my office too, and told them what happened. I'm officially on maternity leave now." She gestured to the flowers on her nightstand. "My boss sent those. He also said that we could discuss a position in the Hartford office. I'd be recruiting among the Northeast colleges for baseball and basketball. I'll have to do some traveling but not as much as before. I haven't made up my mind on that yet." She took a deep breath and looked down at the baby. "I also called the adoption agency. I hadn't signed any papers yet and I told them that I changed my mind. They weren't happy about it but there is nothing they can do. At least I hadn't picked out parents yet. I'd hate to think of how hurt some couple would be because I had a change of heart." Jillian finished her meal and began to cry. Kristy lifted her up and burped her. "They're going to take her back to the nursery soon. The pediatrician is going to be doing rounds soon and she has to be checked."  
  
"You should get some rest then. Try to take a nap or something."  
  
"I'd love that. But Dr. Hanson said I have to get up and walk within the next hour. It's supposed to be good for me." Kristy made a face at the prospect of moving from her comfy spot.  
  
"And she's probably right." The two friends continued talking quietly until a nurse came to reclaim the baby. Then Kristy was prodded out of bed and made to walk around a bit. After that the rest of the BSC came to see Kristy and Jillian. Around 6 that night Kristy declared that she was exhausted and everyone began to leave. Mary-Anne was the last to go. She was halfway out the door when Kristy stopped her.  
  
"Hey, Mary-Anne?"  
  
"Yeah Kristy?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  



	10. Epilogue

Epilogue: One year later  
  
"Stacey we're going to miss the train!" Sam called down the hallway of their apartment, forgetting the sleeping baby in the car seat next to him. Austin Brewer Thomas opened his mouth and began to cry at the sudden noise. His father bent down to soothe him. "Hey don't cry. I didn't mean to yell. I just wanted your mom to hurry, that's all." The two-month-old baby paid no attention and wailed until Sam un-strapped him and lifted him up. "Come on, please stop crying."   
  
Stacey came hurrying in and took her son in her arms. It had been two months since they'd adopted him and she still couldn't believe that Austin was theirs. It had been a stroke of miraculous luck that they'd been able to adopt him so quickly. Most couples waited for years, but a young girl had seen their profile and decided that they'd be the perfect parents for her unborn baby. Stacey had been there when Austin was born. His birthmother had wanted them to bond immediately. Stacey would be forever grateful to her. Austin was the light and pride of her and Sam's lives. "How many times do you have to wake him up before you stop yelling near him?"  
  
"Sorry honey. Old habits die hard. Do we have everything?"  
  
"My bag, your bag, Austin's bag, the diaper bag, infant carrier, stroller, extra formula and diapers. I think we're set." Stacey resettled a now quiet Austin back into his carrier and helped Sam collect the luggage. "All this for three days in Stoneybrook. I packed less for two weeks in Europe."  
  
"We didn't have a baby then and you still wore non-mommy clothes," Sam replies as they headed out the door.   
  
"Now I understand what Claudia and Kristy were talking about. I can't believe how much he spits up."   
  
The cab was waiting for them downstairs, and they made good time to the station. Stacey was a little nervous about traveling with Austin. It was the first time they'd taken him out of the city since he'd been born. However the entire BSC was going to be there for Jessi's wedding and Stacey couldn't resist the temptation to show Austin off to her friends.   
  
Luckily the baby stayed asleep for the entire trip to Stoneybrook and didn't wake up until the train pulled into the station. As Stacey changed his diaper and gave him his bottle, she couldn't help but reflect on how much her life had changed in the last year. Last year she had been bitter and angry over her infertility, she wasn't sure her marriage was going to survive the strain and she had blown up at one of her closest friends. And now she was happy. She finally understood Claudia's aura of contentment, even when the baby was screaming. She'd only had Austin for two months and she couldn't imagine her life without him. She'd fallen in love with him the second she saw him. Everything in her life had fallen into place and she'd never been happier. Claudia was waiting for her on the platform and Stacey waved from the window. She had Mimi with her in a baby backpack. The little girl waved as well, imitating her mother.   
  
"Stacey!" Claudia cut through the debarking passengers to her friend's side. "Is this Austin?"  
  
"Yep, this is my boy." She proudly displayed her son. This was the first time Claudia had seen him.   
  
"He's handsome. Remind me to keep Mimi away from him when they get older. Come on, the car's outside. How much did you pack?"  
  
"About three outfits and the baby's stuff. Now I know why you would never bring Mimi into the city." Stacey rolled her eyes in mock exhaustion. "Your arms would come out of your sockets carrying this load. Are you sure you're going to have room for all of it?"  
  
"New mini-van, remember? We really needed more space." Claudia patted her stomach, and then put Mimi in her car seat while Stacey strapped Austin in. Sam was at the rear of the van loading the bags in.  
  
"Are you-?" Stacey nearly choked. The last time she and Claudia had discussed the subject, Claudia had been adamant that Mimi was going to be an only child.  
  
"Two months pregnant. We're hoping for a boy this time." Claudia gave the car seat straps a tug to be sure they were fastened then got into the driver's seat. "Do me a favor and lose the shocked look."  
  
"Sorry. Congratulations Claudia. That's terrific. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Pretty good actually. Not much morning sickness this time. So where are you guys staying anyway?"  
  
"With Sam's mother. Charlie and Samantha don't have a guest room anymore remember? Plus Elizabeth still has Serena's old baby stuff for Austin to use."  
  
"I can't believe I forgot. You're not going to believe how big Jonathan's getting. He's almost crawling now."  
  
"Samantha told me when I talked to her the other day. She also said that Kelly is settling into being a big sister pretty well." The two women settled happily into a discussion of children that lasted all the way to the Brewer mansion. Sam amused himself by explain the rules of baseball to his son.  
  
The mansion was overflowing with people as usual. Karen and Andrew had arrived for their annual visit, and David Michael was home from school. Karen was in the kitchen with her friends Hannah and Nancy, comparing notes on their sophomore years in college. Emily-Michelle was upstairs listening to her stereo with her friends Gabby and Sari. Serena and Kelly were in the playroom, involved in something that made them squeal every few seconds at the top of their lungs. Every so often someone would someone would stick their head in and tell the girls to keep it down.   
  
The adults had gathered in the living room with the little ones. Kristy was helping Jillian walk while talking to Samantha, while Charlie fed Jonathon. Elizabeth was bouncing between the kitchen and the conversation between the two women. It was an absolute madhouse that Sam and Stacey walked into.  
  
"We're here!" Sam boomed as they walked through the door. "Anybody home?"  
  
"Hey big brother!" Kristy looked up from her perch on the floor. "Long time, no see. You better have brought my nephew with you. Hi Stacey."   
  
"He's right here." Stacey set the infant seat on the ground and lifted Austin out for all to see. "Meet Austin Brewer Thomas."  
  
After all the hi's and how are you's and I haven't seen you in forever's were done, Elizabeth announced that dinner was ready. Hannah, Nancy, Sari and Gabby went home while everyone assembled themselves around the table. Jonathon and Jillian were strapped into high chairs so that their mother's could feed them.   
  
As Kristy dodged flying peas, she couldn't help but reflect on how her life has changed in one short year. The last time her whole family had been gathered like this, she's been pregnant with Jillian and miserable. Now she was living in Hartford, just 45 minutes away from her family and raising her adored daughter. Everyday Jillian learned something new about her world. Kristy could hardly remember what her life was like before she was born. The last year hadn't been easy. Being a parent was hard when there was no one to share it with, and more than once she had broken down crying from sheer exhaustion. Jillian had been a colicky baby who didn't sleep through the night until she was nearly six months old. Luckily Kristy's boss had been wonderful about transferring her back east and reducing her travel schedule. She only had to go to Seattle once a year, and her regional trips were confined to day stuff only until Jillian was older. It hadn't been easy but she was doing just fine.  
  
  
  
  
The next day was Jessi's wedding to Derek. Mallory and Becca would be her attendants. Jessi had explained that it was just because they had planned a small wedding and there just was space for a bunch of bridesmaids. Everyone had agreed of course, provided that they were invited to the wedding. Jessi said she wouldn't have it any other way and that she was calling in the pact to make sure they were there. Even Abby had been able to come down, just for the day though. Her studies were getting intense and she could barely afford that much time away. Dawn had flown in from California, without Jimmy this time. He couldn't get away from work.   
  
The wedding was going to be kid free. Karen and Nancy were going to baby-sit for Mimi, Jillian, and Austin while their parents were at the ceremony. Stacey told them seven times that they were to call her cell phone if anything went wrong, no matter what. She looked like she was going to cry as Sam pulled her out the door. Claudia and Kristy were already in the car, having had Nancy watch their daughter many time before.  
  
The ceremony went off without a hitch. Before she knew it, Jessi Ramsey had become Mrs. Derek Winslow. She burst into tears when the minister pronounced them husband and wife, but stopped by the time Derek kissed her.   
  
The reception was beautiful and seemed to fly by. Before they knew it, Jessi was tossing the bouquet. Kristy caught it. Then the newlyweds were gone a honeymoon to Jamaica, and Abby had to get her train back to Boston. The former BSC members gathered themselves in corner just before Jessi left to say good-bye. It had been a whirlwind reunion with virtually no time to really talk. But it had been good. They were all happy, really happy. Kristy had her daughter. Claudia had her children and her free-lance design jobs. Mallory had her books and a new girlfriend. Mary-Anne had her husband and a thriving practice. Stacey was buried inside her cocoon of new motherhood and there were doubts as to when she'd ever emerge. Dawn was on the fast track to making partner in her firm, and was planning her own wedding. Abby was set to graduate from medical school in less than a year and was ranked in the top 10% of her class. Jessi was married to a man she loved and had a wonderful career as a teacher. Not one of them though life could get much better than that.  
  
  
THE END  
  
PS. Claudia had a baby boy named Ryan. Stacey and Sam adopted two more kids, Caitlin and Brendan. Dawn married Jimmy and made partner. They both decided that they preferred a childfree lifestyle, as did Jessi and Derek. Mallory's girlfriend turned out to be her soul mate and they are still together. Mary-Anne eventually took a job as a school psychologist, when she had her only child, Abigail. She was named for Mary-Anne's mother. Kristy married when Jillian was 5. Her husband Bradley adopted Jillian, and together he and Kristy had thee more kids. A girl, Amy and two boys, Randy and Joel. They still live in Hartford, Connecticut.  
  
  



End file.
